Ouroboros by Nejla Yatkin is an evening length interactive theatrical solo dance presented in the round. The dance piece resurrects and centers the ancient healing symbol of Ouroboros through personal story telling including multiple languages English, German, Turkish and ASL, dance (contemporary and Middle Eastern dance), original composition by Shamou, song (cabaret style, sung live by Nejla), dramaturg Joanna Furnans, costume by Katrin Schnabl, lighting designer Giau Truong, set designer Delena Bradley, sound designer Sathapat Sangsuwan, deaf artist Susan Elizabeth Rangel.
From the moment the audience enters the space which is set up like a nomadic tent, they are greeted with rosewater and Turkish delights and taken through a journey to feel the life-affirming power of the ancient ritual of a gathering circle to dance, sing and tell stories. The solo dance takes the audience on a journey of memory, place, our current paradoxes and the cyclical and entrapping nature of time and culture.The dance theatre piece is also about the lost history and continued relevance of embodying nature in the form of the snake dance, about embodied feminine wisdoms past and present, and about our relationship to dance and language. At the end of the evening the audience is invited to join in a dance “after party”.
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Support for Ouroboros:
Preview performance supported by Links Hall Co-Commissioning Fellowship, Sybil Shearer Fellowship Award from the Morrison Shearer Foundation, Finalist Grant from the National Dance Project, DCASE Esteemed Artist Award.
Ouroboros premiere is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co- commissioned by MECA, Art2Action, Dance Complex and NPN. More information: www.npnweb.org.
Ouroboros premiere is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
About Nejla Yatkin:
Nejla Yatkin is a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow in choreography and a globally acclaimed dance artist, celebrated for her ability to craft emotionally resonant and thought-provoking performances. Described by The New York Times as “magical” and praised for her “fierce and supple” movement, Nejla creates choreography that transcends traditional forms, immersing audiences in journeys that explore the complexity of human existence.
With a career spanning decades, Nejla’s work intertwines her nomadic heritage, extensive training in diverse dance traditions, and her deep curiosity about humanity’s shared struggles and triumphs. Her repertoire is informed by Dance Theater, Limon, Horton, Graham techniques, Ballet, Japanese Butoh, Middle Eastern dance, and pantomime, showcasing her ability to fluidly navigate different genres and storytelling methods. For Nejla’s full bio, click here.
