Choreographer Dana Gringas’ critically acclaimed dance company will perform two shows that represent the physical anxiety of climate change and technological advances
The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the Middle East debut of Animals of Distinction’s FRONTERA on 12 and 13 October at The Red Theater, presented with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef and Arpels.
The season’s first dance performance is a complex and electrifying performance that reflects an era of accelerated climate change, mass migration, and corporate surveillance.
Developed by critically acclaimed choreographer Dana Gingras, the troupe’s founder, FRONTERA features live music by experimental Canadian band Fly Pan Am, who will perform gripping post-rock beats.
The show also includes field recordings from iconic rock group Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Dave Bryant, and lighting design by United Visual Artists, which together creates a dynamic, visual conversation between choreography, architecture, and sound.
FRONTERA explores spaces of inclusion and exclusion, tackling borders as boundaries between the public and private realms. Nine dancers – their bodies mapped in high resolution, their destinies unresolved – contend with the ideas of ‘a real or imaginary dividing line’ and the extreme limits of understanding.
Following the 12 October show, a Q&A moderated by NYUAD Assistant Professor of Theater and Performance Studies Katia Arfara will feature Dana Gringas, dancers from Animals of Distinction, and bandmembers from Fly Pan Am.
As part of its commitment to developing the skills of local artists through its series Off the Stage presented by Mubadala, on Tuesday, 10 October at 6.30pm, The Arts Center will host a dance workshop with multidisciplinary artist Amara Barner, a dancer with Animals of Distinction.
Amara has worked commercially for television, including dancing backup for Sia on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and music videos including Cardinals Pride’s ‘Masterpiece’. She has also toured internationally and was featured in Dance Magazine’s July 2020 issue as an On The Rise artist.
For further information visit nyuad-artscenter.org
For more information about arts and culture events in the capital and beyond, visit Yalla Abu Dhabi Life
