Gabri Christa

Gabri Christa

Associate Professor of Professional Practice   

Department

Dance

Contact

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, Performer2008

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.

March 11, 2024

To coincide with Shange’s first posthumous book, Dance We Do: A Poet Explores Black Dance, the College is hosting several events through the two-year-long Shange Magic Project.

October 15, 2020

The Movement Lab’s Guy de Lancey reflects on becoming a political refugee from South Africa.
 

September 21, 2020

With reality 'on pause' because of COVID-19, the Movement Lab’s biennale film festival on April 4 moves online and focuses on 'Aging & Othering.'

April 3, 2020

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.

January 7, 2020

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.

October 18, 2019