Alhayyyat Raksa (Life Is a Dance) at First Congregational Church

Mosaic Dance Theater Company’s (MDTC) world premiere production of Alhayat Raksa (Life Is a Dance), centers around an Arab woman who, at the end of her life, resolves her conflicting emotions and resentments of having had to follow the traditional path for a woman of marriage and a family, instead of pursuing a career as a dancer. The work underscores the fragility of women’s rights and choices that we often take for granted. The story is told as a flashback of the woman’s life. The different scenes, through the music composed for them, present different styles of Middle Eastern dance: traditional folklore, elegant raks sharki (oriental dance), popular shaabi (street dance), and contemporary interpretive Middle Eastern dance.

Alhayat Raksa (Life Is a Dance), performed by a cast of seven, is directed by Morgiana Celeste Varricchio (MDTC’s Producing Artistic Director), choreographed by Samara Adell (MDTC’s Artistic Director for Dance), and is adapted from an original story by Trisha Cangiano. The production boasts a commissioned score of original Arabic music composed by Maurice Chedid.

Made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and supported by New Music USA's New Music Organizational Development Fund.