
Dance the night away at All-Star Ballet Gala
22 Apr 2025 09:00
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Ballet fans, pirouette your way to the All-Star Ballet Gala, being staged at the Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, April 22, at 7.30pmThe dazzling production featuring some of the world's most celebrated dancers, is being presented by the Abu Dhabi Festival. Representing prestigious ballet companies from around the world, including the Royal Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, and Stuttgart Ballet, these accomplished artists will captivate audiences with their artistry and technical mastery. The programme covers a stunning mix of iconic classical repertoire and contemporary masterpieces, including: Spring Waters; Diamonds (from Jewels); Cinderella Act Two pas de deux; Nachtmerrie (Nightmare); Giselle Act Two pas de deux; Onegin Act One Mirror pas de deux; Swan Lake Black Swan pas de deux; The Man I Love from Who Cares?; and Don Quixote Act Three, Grand pas de deux.
Highlights include performances by Jinhao Zhang and Madison Young of Bayerisches Staatsballett (both Prix de Lausanne winners), Stuttgart Ballet's Principal Dancers Martí Paixà and Elisa Badenes (Youth America Grand Prix), and, from the Royal Ballet, Principal Dancer Ryoichi Hirano (Prix de Lausanne) and First Soloist Melissa Hamilton (Youth America Grand Prix).
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The National
09-05-2025
- The National
Carnegie Hall's lessons for the Middle East: Nurture local talent and embrace global culture
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Gulf Business
07-05-2025
- Gulf Business
Abu Dhabi Festival 2025 showcases global collaborations, youth empowerment
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The 2025 edition, which concluded earlier this month, reinforced the festival's mission by delivering a rich programme of performances, partnerships, and initiatives that continue to position Abu Dhabi as a global arts capital. A memorable edition This year's Abu Dhabi Festival, its 22nd edition, was truly exceptional, blending world-class performances with a strong educational and community impact under the inspiring theme 'Abu Dhabi – A World of Harmony.' Celebrating over 50 years of friendship and diplomatic relations between the UAE and country of honour Japan, the Festival featured a breathtaking performance by Japanese taiko drumming troupe Kodo and the UAE debut of pianist Yunchan Lim, whose rendition of the Goldberg Variations left audiences in awe. Other highlights included performances by Katia and Marielle Labèque, percussionist Kuniko Kato, and an All-Star Ballet Gala with dancers from the Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. Beyond the stage, the festival's Outreach Programme engaged more than 1,700 students through open rehearsals and school visits by the artists, offering rare, up-close moments where global artistry connected with local youth. These encounters reflected the festival's enduring commitment to empowering the next generation through direct cultural engagement. Pianist Yunchan Lim performs at Abu Dhabi Festival. Image: Supplied Abroad Programme extends global reach Among the festival's flagship initiatives is the Abroad Programme , which builds partnerships with international cultural institutions while promoting Arab creativity on global stages. A highlight of the 2025 edition was the co-production of Pelléas et Mélisande with the Opéra National de Paris – a milestone in cultural diplomacy and the first of its kind between a Middle Eastern entity and the Paris Opera. Directed by acclaimed playwright Wajdi Mouawad, the production ran from February 28 to March 27 and attracted more than 22,000 attendees. It reflected the festival's growing influence as a cultural ambassador and bridge-builder between East and West. Education and empowerment at the core The Abu Dhabi Festival has also embedded education into its cultural mission, forging long-term partnerships to empower emerging talent. The Dolce & Gabbana x ADMAF Award offered talented young Emiratis six-month internships at the Italian fashion house's headquarters, providing hands-on experience in haute couture. 'This is about more than exposure. It's about building skills, confidence, and cultural fluency,' the ADMAF team said. A separate partnership with TotalEnergies supported sustainability-themed competitions and education initiatives, challenging students to merge environmental awareness with artistic expression – aligning with ADMAF's commitment to nurturing culturally and socially conscious leaders. Abu Dhabi Festival: Local talent, global platforms At home, the festival continues to foster young creatives through initiatives like the Young Media Leaders programme, launched in 2007. Emirati students and graduates are introduced to journalism, broadcasting, and digital content through immersive workshops and mentorships. 'It's not just a training ground, it's a launchpad for future storytellers,' ADMAF said. The programme is closely tied to the Artist's Studio series, which gives participants the opportunity to interview global artists and share their insights with wider audiences – extending the festival's reach beyond its performances. New initiatives aimed at younger audiences have also emerged. My First Concert introduces classical music to children under four, while Symphony Storytelling brings books and narratives to life through orchestral music. These programmes, ADMAF said, help build empathy, imagination, and language skills, nurturing emotionally intelligent future leaders regardless of whether they pursue careers in the arts. A hallmark of the Abu Dhabi Festival is its dual focus on showcasing global excellence while championing regional talent. Programmes like the Composers' Platform and long-term commissions have provided UAE-based and Arab artists with opportunities to present original work alongside international counterparts. 'We're not just showcasing culture; we're shaping it,' ADMAF affirmed. Year-round impact While the annual festival remains the centrepiece, its influence continues year-round through educational initiatives, international collaborations, and mentorships that advance the UAE's position as a cultural and creative capital. 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Khaleej Times
01-05-2025
- Khaleej Times
The Future of Automotive Marketing? Nissan Dubai Just Drove Right Through It
In a world where our attention is split across a thousand screens, what does it take to stop people in their tracks - quite literally? The answer, as it turns out, might just be a 3D illusion hanging off Sheikh Zayed Road. As consumers grow increasingly immune to the scroll-and-skip culture of digital ads, brand storytelling has taken a turn - not just louder, but smarter, bolder, and wildly immersive. And no brand has embodied this transformation quite like Nissan Dubai, whose Ramadan 2025 campaign didn't just turn heads - it broke the internet with its Vertex™ Mixed Reality Experience. A 3D billboard so visually stunning and technically seamless, it blurred the boundary between reality and illusion. People didn't just notice it; they pulled over to film it, share it, and marvel at it. Nissan Dubai's daring leap into mixed reality This Ramadan 2025, Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC), the exclusive distributor for Nissan in Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates, flipped the script on seasonal automotive advertising. The launch of the All-New Nissan Patrol 2025 was anything but conventional - it was cinematic, surreal, and spectacularly viral. Instead of a glossy commercial or a traditional billboard, Arabian Automobiles unveiled a CGI-powered spectacle: a jaw-droppingly realistic visual of the All-New Nissan Patrol 2025 seemingly mounted on a massive billboard along Sheikh Zayed Road. The illusion? So hyper-real that passersby and netizens alike questioned if it was actually real. In less than 48 hours, the campaign clocked over 30 million views, turning a localized stunt into a global conversation. And just like that, Nissan wasn't just advertising a car - it was engineering a cultural moment. The magic lay in the fusion. By using high-impact CGI to simulate a Vertex™ Mixed Reality Experience - Nissan Dubai's bold new take on digital storytelling in urban space - the brand punched through the Ramadan ad clutter, a season typically flooded with emotional storytelling and brand nostalgia. Instead of tugging at heartstrings, Nissan tugged at curiosity - with a larger-than-life execution that had everyone doing double takes, then double taps. This hybrid of physical placement and digital artistry signals a shift in how brands can use traditional media in unexpected ways - creating moments that are seen and shared. A new era for automotive marketing All-New Nissan Patrol 2025 campaign is a blueprint for how automotive brands can innovate beyond the showroom. It reflects AAC's vision of enriching customer lives and also leading the charge in experiential, creative storytelling that resonates with a younger, digital-first audience. And as the buzz still echoes online, one thing is clear: OOH isn't dead. It's just been reimagined - and Vertex™ is leading the charge.