• Co-commissioned by The Arts Center and Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Arab World premiere takes place at The Red Theater
  • The performance is followed by a post-show Q&A with the artists moderated by The Arts Center’s Executive Artistic Director Bill Bragin

Abu Dhabi: The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi has co-commissioned the Duck Pond, which will make its Arab World Premiere on Friday, May 10 at 7:30pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12 at 3pm in The Red Theater. One of the globally renowned Circa ensemble’s most ambitious pieces yet, circus visionary and Artistic Director of Circa Yaron Lifschitz will present their exuberant take on Swan Lake, mixing classic ballet sequences with the buoyancy of the circus, emboldened with humor, panache, and feathers.

The work will be performed by ten members of the Australia-based Circa ensemble, one of the world’s leading performance companies, with haute couture costumes courtesy of Libby McDonnell, music by Jethro Woodward with hints of Tchaikovsky’s classical masterpiece, and lighting from Alexander Berlage. Audiences will encounter a clumsy film crew, a sequined flipper wearing duck army, and a burlesque black swan with sumptuous aerials all coming together to bring to life a touching tale of identity and finding your true self.

Executive Artistic Director of The Arts Center Bill Bragin commented: “Over the past few years, we’ve found that family friendly but sophisticated programming has really struck a chord with our audiences, especially contemporary circus, of which Circa is undoubtedly one of the world’s leaders. We’re thrilled to be able to present this work, co-commissioned by The Arts Center, which draws from the classic fable The Ugly Duckling, to create a performance the entire family can enjoy together.”

Combining the thrilling physicality of Circa’s previous works, Humans 2.0 and the playful comedy of Carnival of the Animals, Duck Pond brings a must-see circus epic to the Abu Dhabi stage. Following the performance on May 10, audiences can take part in a post-show Q&A with the performing artists, which will be moderated by The Arts Center’s Executive Artistic Director Bill Bragin.

As part of the series Off the Stage presented by Mubadala, a performing arts workshop with Circa will also take place on May 7 at 6:30pm at The Arts Center for those curious to learn about the movement and techniques used by the ensemble. It will allow participants of varying styles and levels to learn new circus skills and movement languages specific to Duck Pond, which will then be integrated to create a sequence.

Duck Pond is co-commissioned by Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Art House Wyong, Frankston Arts Centre, HOTA – Home of the Arts, Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre. Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

Listings information   

Event:  Duck Pond – Circa

Date: Friday, May 10, 7:30pm, Saturday-Sunday, May 11-12 at 3pm

Venue: The Red Theater

Tickets: To purchase tickets to the performance, visit here

Event: Off  The Stage: Duck Pond Workshop with Circa Ensemble

Date: Tuesday, May 7, 6:30pm

Venue: The Arts Center

Notes to editors

  • To keep informed of additional programs, please visit The Arts Center website.

Biographies 

Circa Contemporary Circus is one of the world’s leading performance companies. Based in Brisbane, Australia since 2004, Circa has toured the world and performed in more than 40 countries to over 1.5 million people. Circa’s works have been greeted with standing ovations, rave reviews and sold-out houses across six continents. Circa is at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus – pioneering how extreme physicality can create powerful and moving performances. It continues to push the boundaries of the art form, blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus. Fuelled by the question ‘what is possible in circus?’ Circa is leading the way with a diverse range of thrilling creations that “redraw the limits to which circus can aspire.” (The Age). Under the direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, Circa features an ensemble of exceptional, multi-skilled circus artists. The Ensemble is a regular fixture at leading festivals and venues in New York, London, Berlin and Montreal with seasons at Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Barbican Centre, Les Nuits de Fourvière, Chamäleon Theatre as well as major Australian Festivals.

For more information please visit: https://www.nyuad-artscenter.org/. The Arts Center at NYUAD is an internationally renowned performing arts center that presents distinguished professional artists from around the world alongside student, faculty, and community productions.  

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About The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi 

nyuad-artscenter.org 

@NYUADArtsCenter 

Presenting music, theater, dance, film and interdisciplinary performances that defy definition, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is a performing arts center that presents distinguished professional artists from around the world alongside student, faculty, and community productions. The Arts Center draws on the resources of NYUAD to create a dynamic space for research, investigation, and the active pursuit of knowledge and wisdom for audiences as well as visiting artists.

About NYU Abu Dhabi 

www.nyuad.nyu.edu 

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.