Samur

2023. Supported by Jameel Arts Centre

During his extensive visits to different natural habitats around the UAE in the summer of 2022, Zheng Bo was captivated by the umbrella thorn acacia tree, known locally as Samr, Samur or Salam. For his Artist’s Garden commission at Jameel Arts Centre, Zheng Bo choreographed a dance with two human dancers and a Samur tree in the Mleiha desert as a way to understand and reconnect with the land and the tree. The dance pays homage to the tree’s strength and tenacity – the vibrancy of its branches, the delicacy of its leaves, and the defiance of its thorns. The performance is presented at Jameel Arts Centre as a film installation set within a landscape of indigenous plants that thrive in the desert.

Samur (scientific name Vachellia tortilis), dancer

The Samur tree, also known as the umbrella thorn acacia, is a long-living species found in the Arabian Peninsula and across Africa. It can live to a century or more. Blooming from April to November, the Samur’s flowers provide nectar for honeybees, while its leaves and seeds are used in folk medicines.

Rei Kassandra Co, dancer

Rei moved to Dubai from the Philippines when she was three months old. She began her training with Sima Dance Company at the age of nine and started dancing professionally at the age of twelve. Now she is a lead artist at Sima Dance Company.

Zain Alabidin Soliman, dancer

Zain is a dancer and choreographer from Aleppo, Syria. He moved to the UAE in the autumn of 2022. He is completing a degree in acting and choreography at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy.

Ecosensibility: Zheng Bo
Cinematography: Mark Hobson
Assisted by: Veronika Hobson
Sound recording: Simon Charles
Postproduction: Mark Hobson
Curator: Nadine El Khoury
Graphic Designer: Dina Al Khatib

Download the booklet in Arabic and English