The Light Within & Tá Brón Orm

As part of BIAF’s dance exchange Our Voice Together Now with Orient Productions in Egypt and Sareyyet Ramallah in Palestine, we present a double bill by choreographers Michael McEvoy and Shaymaa Shoukry.

The Light Within

Shaymaa Shoukry’s The Light  Within explores the notion of inner light. How do we continue to shine in dark times?

Three dancers move between light and shadow, drawing on the traditions of Palestinian dabke – a dance rooted in community, resilience and connection to the land. Set to an original live score by Ahmed Salah that weaves together Palestinian and Egyptian musical tradition, The Light Within is a powerful reflection on solidarity and the hope we find in one another.

Performed by Besan Ja’ara, Hanin Tarik, and Nibal AbuDan with choreography assistance from Nowwar Salem.

Tá Brón Orm

Tá Brón Orm begins in an Ireland that never recovered. In a reimagined reality where The Great Famine erased its people and its stories, we witness the last mythical beings of the island take their final breath.

Drawn from three short tales written by Michael McEvoy, of the Banshee, the Siren, and the Hunger Fields, and inspired by the Children of the Famine trilogy by author Marita Conlon-McKenna.

Performed by Ahmed Ghareeb, Sara Gabr and Shady Abdelrahman, Tá Brón Orm traces the remnants of a world on the edge of disappearance.

Set to the contemporary Irish soundscape of ØXN, the piece moves like a story half-remembered: a culture slipping into shadow, a sorrow carried in the body.

There are no words, there is only the feeling of watching – Yelyzaveta Kravets

Credits – The Light Within

Concept & Choreography: Shaymaa Shoukry
Dancers: Besan Ja’ara, Hanin Tarik, & Nibal AbuDan
Assistant Choreographer: Nowwar Salem
Music: Ahmed Saleh
Cello: Shaymaa Shoukry
Bass Guitar: Mahmoud Waly
Vocals: Aya Khalaf
Mijwez: Osama Abo Elem
Arghul: Yassin Abo Habib
Costume Design: Hanin Tarek
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Rehearsal Spaces: Studio Takhshīna at Goethe-Institut, Dawar for Arts, & Studio Emad Eddin
Production: Orient Productions
Producer: Menna Walid
Video Documentation and Editing by Sally Kandil
Photo credits: Medhat Soody and Mostafa abd el aty

Credits – Tá Brón Orm
Choreography: Michael McEvoy
Performers: Ahmed Ghareeb, Sara Gabr, Shady Abdelrahman
Costumes: Nashwa Maatouk
Music: ØXN
Lighting Design: Sayed Naggar
Production: Orient Productions
Producer: Menna Walid

Funded by a British Council International Collaboration Award.