DUBAI, 13 January 2022 – In a graceful combination of Latin, Middle Eastern and Indian culture, Antonina Canal’s Prem Shakti Company presented an evening of dance at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre on Thursday that embraced the multicultural spirit of Expo 2020, as well as Dubai itself.
Presented by the Colombian Pavilion, Prem Shakti Company treated the audience to music and moves inspired by both Indian and Arab mystical traditions, combined withenergy and colour that were purely Latin.
Speaking to the audience before the show, Canal described her dance project as “dance therapy” and a “language of the soul.”
Canal’s unique artistic expression is inspired by a year living in an ashram in India, as well as time spent among the Bedouin of Algeria and Morocco.
Fittingly, Canal kicked off her performances by encouraging the audience to participate and show their appreciation through what she dubbed “the Bedouin scream” – the traditional ululation.
The glamourous array of costumes made cultural references to Bollywood, belly dancing and Latin carnival. The show kicked off with outfits and headdresses that appeared to be inspired by Varanasi’s famous Ganga Aarti.
Highlights of the performance included Canal’s awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking ability to balance swords with rhythmic and gymnastic grace, as well as a showcase of Colombia’s traditional cumbia dance and distinctive drum rhythms.
