Dance Artist Nejla Yatkin Celebrates International Women's Day With World Premiere Of OUROBOROS At Links Hall
Ouroboros draws inspiration from the snake dances of the ancient lands of the Middle East.
Nejla Yatkin, a Guggenheim Fellow choreographer and global artist, celebrates International Women's Day with the world premiere of Ouroboros, an interactive, evening-length, solo dance-theatre performance that takes the audience on a transformative journey. The performance takes place Friday–Sunday, March 8–10, 2024 at 7 p.m. at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Avenue, Chicago.
Ouroboros draws inspiration from the snake dances of the ancient lands of the Middle East and centers around the powerful symbol of Ouroboros, symbolizing the unity in all things and the cyclical nature of existence. Inspired by her nomadic ancestry, Yatkin has set the piece in the round and incorporates original composition, multiple languages (English, German, Turkish, movement and ASL), live music and a fusion of dance styles, including contemporary and Middle Eastern dance. Similar to a nomadic gathering, the performance weaves together and invites active audience participation in a journey of memory, place and paradoxes.
“Every time we come together in a circle, we heal the sacred thread of the feminine,” Yatkin said. “For millennia, feminine power, expression and wisdom have been suppressed, dismissed and disrespected. I feel every time we honor our body, express our wisdom, share our voice and connect with our sensuality, we heal the sacred thread of the feminine. This piece also is a way to reclaim the original power of dance, which was inspired by observing, mirroring and imitating nature to understand ourselves and the world around us.”
Nejla Yatkin in Ouroboros, photo by Enki Andrews. Collaborating with Yatkin are costume designer Katrin Schnabl, composer Shamou, lighting designer Giau Truong, set designer Delena Bradley, sound designer Sathapat Sangsuwan, deaf artist Susan Elizabeth Rangel and dramaturg Joanna Furnans.
Yatkin began creating Ouroboros in 2021 with residencies through the Morrison-Shearer Foundation at Ragdale and Links Hall, where she previewed the work in 2022 and will return for a technical residency in February 2024 supported by a National Dance Award grant. Ouroboros is co-commissioned by Dance Complex Boston, Art2Action Tampa and MECA in Houston; Yatkin will bring the work to Boston, Tampa, Houston and Washington DC in 2025.
The world premiere of Ouroboros takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 8, 9 and 10, 2024, at 7 p.m. at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are $16–42 and available by date:
linkshall.org/upcoming-events/ouroboros-march8
linkshall.org/upcoming-events/ouroboros-march9
linkshall.org/upcoming-events/ouroboros-march10
All programming is subject to change.
For information, visit ny2dance.com
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