FJK Dance Presents UNTOLD - WORKS IN PROGRESS At Gibney Dance Center NYC April 12 And April 14

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE returns to New York with special guest artists and new collaborations over two evenings at Gibney Dance Center, 280 Broadway, on Thursday, April 12 and Saturday, April 14 for the company's 2018 presentation of Works in Progress. Both performances begin at 7:30pm, followed by a Q&A with the choreographer and a cocktail reception. Doors open at 7pm.

Three new works will be shown, including Fadi Khoury's groundbreaking multimedia performance and art installation, UnTold, where ancient Middle Eastern aesthetics are reimagined for the present by layering contemporary ballet and ballroom movements with sculptures and graphic designs. UnTold aims to shed light on the hidden beauty of Middle Eastern culture. Inspired by Arabic poetry, Al Mu'alaqat (a set of seven poems) is transformed into projections and theater sets. The designed Arabic written words dance and interconnect with the performers on stage.

According to Mr. Khoury, "UnTold aims to shed light on the hidden beauty of Middle Eastern culture at a time when stereotypes govern our perceptions."

FJK DANCE Works In Progress will also introduce guest choreographers Gary Pierce (co-founder of American Ballroom Theatre Company) and acclaimed jazz artist Debbie Roshe, both of whom are creating new work on FJK's company of ten dancers. The new ballroom work by Mr. Pierce, and a new jazz work by Ms. Roshe, will premiere at FJK Season 2018 this fall.

Tickets to WORKS IN PROGRESS are donation based with all proceeds being used to fund the company's 2018 New York annual season. SPACE IS LIMITED R.S.V.P deadline is April 1st, 2018 at: sevin@fjkdance.com. Each Works in Process evening will include a performance, followed by a Q&A and cocktail reception. Doors open at 7pm; performance at 7:30pm.

Since 2014, Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE has used "fusion choreography" to blend a distinctive mix of styles including Argentine tango, Middle Eastern movement, classical ballet and ballroom dance. FJK Dance programs are seen as an opportunity to communicate peace, diversity, tolerance and harmony, in support of cross-cultural dialogue. Previous FJK Dance performances include New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow, Battery Dance Festival and Dumbo (NY), as well as international performances in China, Lebanon and Turkey. VIEW COMPANY DOCUMENTARY.

ABOUT UnTOLD:

UnTold is a project conceived in two parts: the audience will walk through sculptures and paintings inspired by the pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, and then enter into the performance space to attend an all-new FJK DANCE fusion dance choreographic work. The shape and movement of Arabic calligraphy serves to inspire the dancers' movement. Arabic written words will dance, and dancers will interact with them. Egyptian percussionist and composer Hossam Ramzy provides the music for UnTold with his singular mix of Middle Eastern melodies and American Jazz. He hopes that his unique arrangements will lead Western audiences to a better understanding and appreciation of Middle Eastern music.

View UnTold video: https://vimeo.com/257435747

More about UnTold: http://www.fjkdance.com/new-events/2018/4/12/2018-works-in-progress

"At FJK DANCE, we believe in the unique fusion of culture and dance. The endless possibilities of experimenting with the fundamentals of various forms of dance, from classical ballet to ballroom, from Middle Eastern to jazz--we combine the essentials of each to create our own language. We push the boundaries of styles and stereotypes in dance, by devoting the purity of human movement to the music."

Fadi J. Khoury was born in Baghdad, Iraq, surrounded by the folkloric music and dance of Arab culture. His father was Artistic Director of the National Iraqi Ballet, and through his father Fadi was exposed to diverse approaches to dance in the Assyrian, Syriac, and Bedouin dances of the Middle East.

At the age of thirteen he moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where he trained in classical ballet and folkloric dance, and also in modern, jazz, and ballroom dance. By 17 he was dancing professionally with Rahbani Musical Theater while studying at the Lebanese Fine Arts University. In 2005, Fadi joined the Caracalla Dance Theatre, touring the Middle East and North Africa. He moved to the USA in 2009, and performed with Caracalla at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Awarded a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in NYC, he collaborated with distinguished choreographers such as Gary Pierce, Earl Mosley and Elisa Monte.

Fadi's versatility and passion for dance allowed him to establish a career as lead instructor and choreographer at the Arthur Murray Dance Center in NYC. He placed first in Top Teacher awards from Arthur Murray International from 2009 to 2013.

In 2014, inspired by a successful collaboration with Sevin Ceviker, he created his own company where he could continue to refine his distinct personal style.

FJK DANCE co-founder Sevin Ceviker also serves as Company Manager and principal dancer. Born in Istanbul, she trained in classical ballet at an early age, and while still a student performed professionally in Giselle, Nutcracker, La Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty, to name a few. In 1997 she was given the opportunity to study at the Alvin Ailey School in New York. At Marymount Manhattan College she explored an array of dance forms, beginning the eclectic multi-cultural approach that has since characterized her work.

After graduation Sevin performed with a number of companies specializing in diverse forms from modern dance to classical Chinese. In 2006 she joined the Martha Graham Dance Company where she spent the next six years performing solo and chorus roles around the world.

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