This week, with the help of opulent French jewellery manufacturer Van Cleef & Arpels, dancers from the British dance company Candoco hit the stage at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Arts Center.
The performances for the UAE premieres of Trisha Brown and Jeanine Durning’s “Set and Reset/Reset” and “Last Shelter” exceeded preconceived notions of what dance can be and included both able-bodied and challenged dancers.
According to Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD, “Candoco’s work expands the language of contemporary dance for artists with varied ways of moving, including the incorporation of people of determination.” “Introducing Candoco and their work to UAE audiences expands on the dialogues about dance and disability that were started during The Arts Center’s inaugural season with Aakash Odedra Company.”
The show was the first in a series that was made possible by Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, a project that high jewellery house established in the fall of 2020 to strengthen its support for the arts with a particular focus on dance.
Since the fall of 2020, the brand has mostly supported modern and contemporary choreographic repertoire, promoting fresh dance shows from organisations all around the world.
In a statement, Laurent noted that dance “brings all the artistic disciplines together: It can include jewellery, music, the plastic arts, costuming, lighting, set design, graphic design, and even jewellery.” It is an amazing way of expression and a fascinating art form. Because of this, it can appeal to a wide range of people. I would like to invite viewers to freely and without judgement admire the works.
The UAE’s dance culture is growing but remains in need of support, something that Bragin and Arpels have recognised, and now Van Cleef & Arpels has joined them.