Gabri Christa
Gabri Christa hails from Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean and worked as a choreographer and dancer with companies such as Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, DanzAbierta and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Awards include the Guggenheim for Choreography, and five Jerome Foundation grants. Her choreographies have been presented nationally, internationally and locally at Central Park Summer Stage, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Symphony Space, PS122 and for five seasons at Dance Theater Workshop (now New York Live Arts).
Awards for her films include an ABC television award for Creative Excellence for her short film High School and Pangea Day Festival’s One of the World’s 100 Most Promising Filmmakers distinction. Her film KASITA (2014) won best short at the Harlem International Film Festival and her documentary "One Day at a Time" (2016) about Caribbean Yoga Master Leo Floridas won Best Short Documentary at the same festival HIFF.
Current work include the Magdalena Project, a solo Multi Media Performance, which includes a series of short films. She is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health.
Christa’s writing on dance and film has been published in The Scholar & Feminist (Barnard) and in “Caribbean Dance; from Abekua to Zouk”, (editor Susanna Sloat BC ‘68) and Winner of the De La Torre Price. In 2015, Christa was appointed to Mayor de Blasio’s Cultural Advisory Commission which was extended for another 4 year term with Mayor de Blasio's re-election in 2018.
Teaching credits include Princeton University, Connecticut College, and CUNY’s College of Staten Island. Gabri Christa holds a BFA from the School for New Dance Development, College for the Arts in Amsterdam and a MFA from the University of Washington.
- Screen Dance
- Modern Dance Technique
- Composition
- Dance in Film
- Yoga for Dancers
- New York Women in Film and Television
- Dance Films Association
- Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission for NYC appointed by Mayor de Blasio in 2015
To Make Visible: (re) presentation of older BIPOC women on stage, in media and in society guest editor Scholar and Feminist on Line and Essay: Older 2021 (in production)
Dance magic dance: A case study of AR/360 video and the Performing Arts. Hibbert, M., Christa, G., Seeley, A., & Lee, A. In C. Elliot, M. Rose, and J. van Arnhem (Eds.), Library Go: Augmented Reality in Libraries. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.-- 2018
The Wisdom of Insecurity as a Guide to Music and Dance Collaboration, Christa, G, In A Life in Dance; a practical guide Ed Rebecca Stenn and Fran Kirmser, 2017
From Choreographer to Director Christa, Gabri in Dance on Camera Journal, Volume 14, No 5, 2010
Another Building; an artistic exploration of history and place. In: “S& F online “The Scholar and Feminist online ,a web journal published by Barnard Center for research on Women. NY, NY. 2009
De smaak van zand in “De Antillen en ik” ed. John Leerdom, Meulenhoff, Amsterdam. 2008
Tambu, Afro Curaçao's Music and Dance of Resistance in Caribbean Dance from Abakua to Zouk, Ed. Susanna Sloat, University of Florida Press. 2003
Son Short film Director, Choreographer, Producer, Cinematographer, 2021
Ashe (Virtual Reality short) Choreographer for VR about Arthur Ashe. Emmy Nomination, 2019
Magdalena & Herman (short) as part of Magdalena performance, 2018
Universal Love (Music Video) Director, Producer, 2017
One Day at A Time (Documentary) Director, Writer, Producer, 2016
Kasita: Another Building # 3 (narrative short film) Director, Producer, Writer, 2014
Orbit-dance ScreenDance scene (choreographer), 2014
Tula the Revolt (narrative feature film) Associate Producer, 2013
Salon Day (narrative short film) Director, April 26, 2010 Anthology Film, RIPFEST, 2010
Mi Pais (music video) Director, 2009
Savoneta: Another Building Dancing # 2, Director, Producer, Performer, 2008
Quarantine: Another Building dancing # 1 (dance film short) ,Director/Producer, 2007
Domino (dance film short) Director/Choreographer, 2003
High School (dance film short) Choreographer/Director/Producer, 2002
Ring Shout (dance film short) Director/Producer, 2002
Professional - evening length:(selected)
Magdalena Multimedia solo performance work. Theater Lab New York NY. Previews Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Painted Bride, Philadelphia, 2018 (touring present)
Fire on Fire (multi-media evening length music theater performance) Director. Symphony Space, New York, 2009
Landscape on Hold, Marianela Boan and Tania Isaac, Painted Bride, Philadelphia, PA.2009
Remember this moment Duet, collaboration with Niles Ford, PS122, New York, NY. 2008
Dominata Multi-media, Dance Theater Workshop, New York, NY.In collaboration with Niles Ford and Nathan Trice, Music: Burnt Sugar Arkestra Text: Latasha Diggs, 2004
Yeye: The Winti project Music Suphala and Vernon Reid PS 122, New York, NY. 2001
Sounds of Clapping laughter Dance Theater Workshop, New York, NY.National Touring 1999
Matutina Music: Zoraida Santiago Dance Theater Workshop, New York, NY and international and NPN touring, 1992
Alles om de Steen te verwijderen Theater de Balie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1989
Professional - shorter works:(selection)
Five Fingers make a hand Staten Island Ballet, St. George Theater, NY. 2014
Longing for what is lost Staten Island Ballet, CUNY Center for the Arts, Staten Island, NY. 2011
Burnt Sugar/Danz (Dance Conduction Continuum)
United Nations, Barishnikov Arts Center, New York, NY. 2010
Decaying slowdrag Choreographer in Collaboration with Niles Ford of duet presented as a MassMOca, MS. 2007
Americana/Immy-G Aaron Davis Hall, part of the e-Moves Festival, New York, NY. 2002
Ri-T-Es Collaboration w/ Nathan Trice, Burnt Sugar and Butch Morris Central Park Summer Stage, NY, NY.2002
Visionary geometries, movement #1 Staten Island Ballet: Center for the Arts, SI, NY. 2001
LukosiMad Collaboration w/ Cynthia Oliver, DTW, New York, NY. 1999
ItfluinY’a Collaboration w/ Torrin Cummings, Aaron Davis Hall, New York, NY. 1995
CUBA:
Un Arbol un Poco Vibratorio Solo for Marianela Boan, Teatro Mella, Havana, Cuba.1989
Un grito verde Teatro Mella, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Havana, Cuba.1988
Staten Island Arts Council: Premier Grant funded through the Greater New York Arts Development Fund (GNYADF) of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), 2021
Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Association UK, PILOT GBHI grant for Magdalena Project at large, 2019- 2020
Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute, 2018 - 2019
Netherland- America Foundation, awarded for Magdalena film 2018
Department of Parks, Commission Arts at Fresh Kills Park Staten Island, 2017
COOL grant for Teaching & Learning Center (Barnard) 2017
Curoil, Grant for Documentary, 2015
Prins Bernard Foundation 2015 and 2017
Maduro & Curiel (M&B) Bank, 2015
Ennia Insurance Company, grant 2015
Prins Bernard Foundation, 2013
Staten Island Ballet Commission,2011
Barishnikov /Summerstages Fellow, 2010
Dance Films Association Finishing Funds Award 2008
Pangea Day Festival, “one of 100 of the world’s most promising filmmakers” and attend Pangea Day Festival (TED) and workshops, 2008
National Black Programming Committee of PBS, funding for Savoneta Another Building #2 2007
Netherland –America Foundation funding for Savoneta Another Building #2, 2007
Jerome Foundation, Fellowship New Work 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007
New York State Council on the Arts composer award collaboration / Burnt Sugar Arkestra, 2004
Council on the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island (COASHI), 2002
ABC TELEVISION, creative excellence award for first short film: HIGH SCHOOL, 2002
The Live Music for Dance Program of the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, 2001
Bessie Schonberg/First Light Commissioning Program of Dance Theater Workshop, 2001
United States Information Agency, grant to present work internationally, 2000
JOHN SIMON GUGGENHEIM Fellowship, 2000
Dance Theater Workshop grant for creating new work, 1998
The Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals, a public/private partnership of the
National Endowment of the Arts, the Unites States Information Agency, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trusts with administrative support from Arts International, 1998
University of Washington, Full Tuition Scholarship, 1996 - 1998
New Faces/ New Visions/ New Voices commission, 1995
National Performance Network grant for creating new work, 1994
Suitcase Fund Dance Theater Workshop, New York, NY, Travel and creation grant, 1992
Pittsburgh Dance Council grant for creating new work. 1994
First Light program of Dance Theater Workshop with funds from Jerome Foundation of St. Paul, MN, grant for creation new work 1994
Cultural Council of the Hague, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1991
Cultural Council of the Hague, The Hague, The Netherlands, Choreography Fellowship, 1990
Dutch Ministry of Culture, The Hague, The Netherlands 1990
City of Amsterdam Dance Council, The Netherlands, Choreography Fellowship, 1989
Rens - Holle Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Scholarship study Cuban Folklore, 1986
St. Mama Cash, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Travel Grant, 1986
City of Amsterdam Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1986
STICUSA (Foundation for Cultural Collaboration), 1986
In The News
A new festival from Barnard’s Movement Lab invited an exploration of what it means to live and make art at a time of rapidly evolving technology.
Gabri Christa, Director of the Movement Lab and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Dance, will join Miami Light's Project, ScreenDance Miami as a panelist and Masterclass host January 12th-15th. The program highlights choreographers and directors working with emerging and new concepts in movement and dance on film and dance on camera.
Faculty Director of the Movement Lab, choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker Gabri Christa moderates a public conversation with Sasha Alexander, Lozens Grit/ Noel Altaha, and Mildred Beltré on Saturday, October 26 from 9:30-10:30pm at the Brooklyn Public Library for Lay Down Your Sword and Shield. A free program of Til Victory is Won.
An afternoon of film screenings and discussions will examine the intersections of dance on film and social justice.