CONTEMPORARY DANCE PERFORMANCE: TRIPLE BILL PREMIERE

When the stages in the whole world are dreaming to reopen, we are celebrating the long awaited premier of a new contemporary dance performance. And it is not just an “premier”. No. It is three performances, each a choreographic debut, and all three artists are women. So it is a package each stage in the world can currently dream of!

Three women from different corners of the world – Japan, Syria and the United States – all lead dancers at Sima Dance Company, will premiere their choreographic works in a combined 50-minute contemporary dance production. The performance will take the viewer into the intimate experience of three themes: the inner fight with self critic and confidence, the journey that never stops and an autobiography of emotions.  

It is a never ending quest to put together a description defining contemporary dance. Having a wide range of ideas confining this form of dancing leaves us with overextended umbrella terms and lingering questions: What does it mean to move? How to create intimacy with your audience? And many more questions and challenges that three dancers decided to undertake by preparing this Triple Bill Premiere.

Elizabeth graduated from Utah Valley University with a Degree in Fine Arts and emphasis in ballet. She uses her classical training alongside completed anatomy and kinesiology classes to build strong contemporary dancers with detailed understanding of body movement.

“Sentience” is her premier as choreographer. She claims that dancing will always be her passion but with this performance she is looking for a closer participation in the world of dance. Creating moves and seeing her work, her words, and her intentions manifesting on other dancers brings another level of intimacy with the artform. 

Elizabeth described that inspiration for performance started with the music. It has transitioned her into almost a dreamlike state where the time was passing seamlessly. Being in this state she was able to acknowledge the inner battles. This performance is dedicated to separate this negative voice and give him a separate body. In this piece, Elizabeth wanted to show the separate inner critic intersecting with our confidence, how sometimes we succumb to the negativity and it stops us from doing what we want to do, and other times it’s a helpful guide towards something better. Other times we need to shut off this critic so we can be free.

Tomomi comes from Japan and was trained in classical ballet and Jazz dance. Her passion for dancing brought her to work and perform in dance theaters and companies in Japan, Singapore and the UAE. Since 2017 Tomomi has been one of the lead artists of Sima Dance Company. 

Tamomi is a passionate dancer that took an opportunity to challenge herself in the choreography field. Her performance embodies two main themes. First theme comes dance as an ancient ritual and spiritual act which was used to pray, to ask for a better harvest or for rain. Second theme is closer to this day – with a raging worldwide pandemic when so many of us are being stripped of a lot, it is important to the artist to find her ground, her root, the stem that she is built from and never stop stepping on. As long as she has her body and can make her steps, her journey continues.  COVID-19 virus had an indirect impact on the creation of this piece and the name “thousand” symbolises many steps, many feet. 

The starting choreographer explains that she puts together her experience gained in Japan, Singapore and Dubai into this piece. Being one of the few dancers from far East in the UAEm she wants to share the flavour of the East with the audience, something special and different.

Lead Artist, Principal Dancer and Assistant Choreographer at Sima Dance Company, Lana Fahmi was born in Damascus, Syria in 1987. She joined Sima Dance company in 2007 and participated as a lead dancer in the company’s original performances and productions. She relocated to Dubai six years years ago and is the co-founder of and dance instructor at Sima Performing Arts.

Her choreographic debut is called “The Fall”. Lana explains that a fall by a definition is an event which results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground, while another definition is to become of a lower level, degree, quality, value, etc as a result of a sudden loss of support. In this piece, she is trying to explore the experience of the act of falling emotionally, mentally or psychologically. Everyone who has ever experienced life events that were too heavy on the person’s life and made him/her fall constantly can relate to that. Regardless of how many times you have fallen, you are determined to rise again. 

This performance was born from her inner-self, which has matured to get out and look for other self-expressions than only dance. Circumstances caused by the worldwide pandemic helped to realise that it is now or never. The choreographer will take the audience through her personal journey. Performance also shares the stories of other dancers – their experience of falling psychologically, emotionally or physically. The finale of the piece is each dancers’ expression – a co-created piece. 

Lana has shared that this performance is very important not only because it is her choreographic debut, but also because it is the first time for her to open up and tell her story. Being an introvert, she is not used to sharing her inner emotions openly. However she admits that creating this piece was very therapeutic, authentic, genuine and from the deepest corners of her heart. She full-heartedly welcomes everyone to see the performance and especially anyone who has never seen dance. It is an incredible step into the dancing world to explore, and open their mind to something new.

DON’T MISS OUT

With venues capacity being restricted it is important to purchase your tickets in advance to secure your seat. During the event do not remove your mask, sanitise your hands, and ensure social distancing. 

Do not let these restrictions prevent you from enjoying this performance. Embark yourself into a movement story combined of sensual inner battle, far East flavoured endurance, and personal journey. The Contemporary Triple Premier is a unique performance of highly experienced dancers putting together their experience, emotions and body movements.

The performance is produced by Sima Performing Arts 

When: 8PM on March 19, March 26, April 2, April 9, 2021

Where: Alserkal Avenue, unit 38, Al Quoz, Dubai

Tickets: https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/81287/contemporary-dance-performance 

Cover photo credit Hasan AlSayed.

Written by Vaida Wippermann and Beata Stankevic