Mosaic Dance Theater Company’s (MDTC) world premiere production of Alhayat Raksa (Life Is a Dance), centers around an Arab woman who, at the end of her life, resolves her conflicting emotions and resentments of having had to follow the traditional path for a woman of marriage and a family, instead of pursuing a career as a dancer. The work underscores the fragility of women’s rights and choices that we often take for granted. The story is told as a flashback of the woman’s life. The different scenes, through the music composed for them, present different styles of Middle Eastern dance: traditional folklore, elegant raks sharki (oriental dance), popular shaabi (street dance), and contemporary interpretive Middle Eastern dance.
Alhayat Raksa (Life Is a Dance) adapted from an original story idea by Trisha Cangiano, features a cast of seven. The production is directed by Morgiana Celeste Varricchio (MDTC’s Producing Artistic Director) and choreographed by Samara Adell (MDTC’s Artistic Director for Dance), with a commissioned score of original Arabic music composed by Maurice Chedid.
Made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and supported by New Music USA’s New Music Organizational Development Fund.
