Beytna
Omar Rajeh
In 2025, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels supports the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi for the presentation of Beytna by Cie Omar Rajeh | Maqamat.
Beytna is an invitation to the home of the other, to the artist's profession and choreographic construction. It is an invitation that confirms diversity, touches on forms and situations of the past, and searches for a new rhythm, pattern, and logic. In Beytna, four dancer/choreographers and four musicians with different artistic experiences and ideas, coming from different continents, cultures, and countries, meet onstage over a banquet of food. They talk, drink, laugh, dance, and prepare food together. This simple meeting becomes the starting point of a more complex choreographic and conceptual performance as the conversation between them develops.
About the artist
© Vesna Lalić Nova
Omar Rajeh
In 2025, Dance Reflections supports the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi for the presentation of Beytna by Omar Rajeh.
Omar Rajeh is a renowned figure in contemporary dance who made a significant impact towards establishing a contemporary dance scene in Lebanon. As the founder of Maqamat in Beirut (2002), he moved on to establish his company in Lyon (2020), earning recognition from the French Ministry of Culture ‘for his contribution and engagement in the service of Culture’ as a 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.' Rajeh's over twenty choreographic creations transcend conventional boundaries with profound socio-political connections, challenging perceptions of body unity and singularity.
Beyond his artistic achievements, Rajeh's contributions extend to founding the Beirut International Platform of Dance (BIPOD) in 2004, a pivotal dance festival offering an international program of performances, workshops, lectures, and meetings. Co-founding the Masahat Dance Network, Rajeh's commitment to regional connectivity culminated in the MOULTAQA LEYMOUN platform, fostering opportunities for emerging and established Arab artists.
