DUBAI, 22 January 2022 – A captivating dance performance delivering a message of peace drew visitors to the open-air Sun Stage in the Opportunity District at Expo 2020 Dubai on Saturday (22 January). Inspired by Sufi poetry, the dance was performed by the Dubai-based Sima Dance Company to mark the end of Global Goals Week, which ran at Expo from 17-22 January.
The aim of Global Goals Week was to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which set targets for human rights, heritage, diversity and creativity to achieve better human and sustainable development. The performance, ‘Cultures in Conversation: The Wider the Vision, The Narrower the Phrase’, explored some of the Goals through the medium of song and dance, with the importance of humanity highlighted throughout, driven by a desire for peace and kindness across the planet.
Impassioned chants in Arabic, accompanied by singing and rhythmic dance, conveyed a strong message of peace and coexistence. The Sun Stage came alive with whirling dance motions, as the dancers and vocalists captured the spirit of the message, combining it with the fluidity of Arabic poetry and swirling calligraphic costumes.
Egyptian vocalist Zigzag Ghanim said: “The show brings a message of peace to Expo 2020’s global stage. Although the show is in Arabic, its overarching theme is universal, for all people and nations.”
Dubai-resident Rohanna van der Merwe is a native South Africa, and has been a part of Sima Dance Company for six years. She believes that cultural exchange through artistic expression builds bridges within communities, and said: “Our dance performance brings together different cultures and nationalities on one stage, and promotes a unifying message of peace. Dance is a universal language, and transcends nationality or religion. Collaborating with people from diverse cultures is a representation of what Dubai really is.”
The award-winning dance company, founded by the inspirational choreographer Alaa Krimed, has performed across the Middle East and the Arab World, and spreads its message of social awareness through an artistic lens.
