25 February 2020
“ Hadid Tears” Dance Ballet Performance Kicks Off, The 15th Edition of Spring of Culture Festival
The 15th edition of the Spring of Culture Festival kicked off yesterday, on 25th February 2020, on the Bahrain National Theatre stage with a contemporary dance performance entitled “Hadid Tears” celebrating the legacy of the late architect Zaha Hadid. The ballet dance show was performed by the Egyptian Modern Dance Theatre and the Cairo Opera House, and directed by Walid Aoun.
The event coincided with the Arab Tourism Day, adopted by the “ Manama Capital of Arab Tourism 2013”, and also in conjunction with the birthday of Arab renowned explorer traveler Ibn Batutah.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities said: “ Every year, Bahrain National Theatre highlights an important exceptional cultural event, kicking off, thus, the Spring of Culture Festival. This annual innovative cultural season adds a multitude of beautiful rainbow colours to the cultural scene movement in the Kingdom of Bahrain, coinciding with the Arab Tourism Day, in commemoration of the birthday of Arab renowned explorer traveler Ibn Batutah, adopted by the “ Manama Capital of Arab Tourism 2013”
H.E added saying : “ Culture is the real identity of our nation states, the most beautiful manifestation of a revolutionary tourism that reflects the richness of our land, the huge universal heritage that we value highly most exquisitely during our sustainable cultural seasons”. H.E commented on “ Hadid Tears” ballet dance show by Cairo Opera House, Egypt, saying : “ Today’s dance ballet show on Bahrain National Theater stage, established thanks to the generous support and sponsorship of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, May God Protect him, pays tribute to the late great architect, Zuha Hadid, who has let her creative touch and magnificent designs scattered around the most prominent world cities”. Hadid's name has become a global brand and her work is being continued by her design studios that are dedicated to furthering her legacy, and she will be remembered for her talent, creativity, commitment to dialogue between peoples and civilizations, H.E asserted.
H.E expressed her sincerest gratitude and thanks to the 2020 Spring of Culture Festival’s sponsors, saying : “ It is with great pleasure and pride that this successful cultural season is made possible thanks to the concerted efforts and fruitful cooperation between private, public and civil society entities, enhancing, thus, Bahrain’s stand as regional and global cultural production hub”. H. E thanked the Economic Development Board and Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammad Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research for the constant constructive participation and organization of this festival over 15 years, valuing highly the continuous cooperation with Albareh Art Gallery and La Fontaine Gallery.
In addition, Mrs. Anita Mendiratta, Advisor To The Secretary General of the UNWTO, expressed her deep gratitude and happiness for attending the official launch of Spring of Culture Festival, which coincides with the Arab Tourism Day, addressing her sincere appreciation to H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities. Mrs. Anita Mendiratta also said that Bahrain represents a perfect beautiful example, an exceptional unique model for an exemplary relationship between tourism and culture, asserting that culture inspires millions of people around the world to travel and explore the rich historical and civilizational sites throughout the globe. Mrs. Anita Mendiratta concluded to say “ The heart of tourism is culture and at Bahrain’s heart there culture”.
The mystical ballet dance show,“Hadid Tears”, celebrating the legacy of the late architect Zaha Hadid, also explored her connection to the Sufi dervishes of the Mawlaw’iyya Order through circular movements paralleling her architecture, a study of gravity and the notion of cathartic release when fusing with the infinite.
Dame Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born British architect whose soaring structures left a mark on skylines and imaginations around the world and in the process reshaped architecture for the modern age, was awarded the Pritzker Prize, widely considered to be the most prestigious architectural award, and other renowned prizes until her death in 2016.
Worth to mention 15th Edition of the Spring of Culture Festival is organized by Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, the Economic Development Board and Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammad Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research, in cooperation with Albareh Art Gallery and La Fontaine Gallery The festival, running until end of April 2020, figures an array of exhibitions, music concerts, theater shows, round-table discussions, cinema screenings, lectures etc. The details of the 15th Edition of the Spring of Culture Festival events, were announced in a press conference. The 2020 Spring of Culture’s Silver Sponsors include Alba, Bahrain Airport Company, Bahrain Duty Free, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, CITYNEAON, DHL, Gulf Air Alba, Bank of Bahrain, Tamkeen. The festival is also sponsored by Bahrain Bay, IDM, Park Point. In addition, the program of the festival is supported by many embassies in Bahrain, as such as the embassy of Tunisia, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Japan, and German.
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