Photo Credit: Uriah Roman/ The Roman Creative

If you’ve had the chance to take class from Ms. Abby Farina, you know that she is a wonderful ballet technique teacher, she gives a challenging modern class, and you will break the best kind of sweat in her strength and conditioning class while listening to a pretty stellar playlist. But did you know that Ms. Abby also performs professionally as a dancer?

Ms. Abby currently dances with Christopher K. Morgan & Artists. This is her eighth year/season dancing with the company. Just a few weeks ago in April, she and her fellow company members had the privilege of premiering a new work at On The Boards, a performance venue in Seattle Washington.

Research and rehearsals for a new work began in spring of 2018. Native Intelligence / Innate Intelligence, was set to premiere in May 2020, but due to the pandemic, the performance was delayed. During that time, the company was able to gather in-person and remotely through various residencies to reimagine what the work might become during the pandemic and post-pandemic.

Over the last three years, the design and movement team consisting of; visual artist, lighting designer, projection designer, 8 performers (including 6 dancers, and 2 musicians), and stage manager) have gathered in person for one week residencies to continue finishing the work. One of their last residences this past winter included a week spent at The Kennedy Center ’s REACH.

A description of the work taken from christopherkmorgan.com explains that “Native Intelligence/ Innate Intelligence incorporates dance, Hawaiian chant and percussion, original compositions for cello, and multi-media scenic design to examine ancestry, home, and belonging. The performance creates a comprehensive picture of the multiplicity of identities we all navigate, and invites the audience to reflect on their perception of Native people, their own identities, and their instinct.”

In addition to the four shows performed in Seattle, the company had the opportunity to connect with the Seattle dance community through teaching a dance class and sharing parts of the process with them through repertoire and improvisation tasks.

Ms. Abby commented, “It has been a very fulfilling project to have been in process for this specific work for 5 years.” Dance Expressions couldn’t be prouder of Ms. Abby and this important piece of art she’s helped bring to fuition! Her dedication and perseverance in this process are wonderful examples to all our dancers.

Let’s share our love and well deserved congratulations to Ms. Abby, in the comments below!

Shining a Spotlight on Ms. Abby’s Performance in Seattle!