Spot Lite
سهرة
Sahra: An Evening of Performance in Detroit
UMS’s Arab World focus closes with Sahra, which is Arabic for “soiree” or “evening.” This event — held at a new performance and gallery space in Detroit — brings together wildly different performances.
Please note updated start time and program:
7 PM SET (seated)
Violinist and composer Mike Khoury and choreographer Leyya Tawil team up for a new work that, in its reference to the Palestinian-American experience, situates itself in both the legacy and future of the Arab avant-garde.
Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The artists have requested no late seating and the bar to be paused so as not to disrupt their performance.
8:15 PM SET (standing)
Kabareh Cheikhats pays tribute to Morocco’s most famous female traditional folk singers. With deep reverence and infectious flair, Kabareh Cheikhats sing, dance, and re-enact their powerful songs of love, rebellion, and fierce independence while reinventing traditions of drag and gender ambiguity.
This set is standing room only; chairs will be removed between sets. The bar will re-open during the pause and will remain open throughout.
Health & Safety
Spot Lite is an off-campus location outside of Ann Arbor, and UMS will respect the health and safety policies set by the venue. This includes masking for entry. Please note that proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test are not required for this event. As the venue also hosts a bar, audiences should expect that people will be eating or drinking unmasked throughout the evening.
Patrons will have IDs checked at the door for those planning to consume alcohol during the event and will be wristbanded accordingly.
Parking
Free parking will be available on the street and in the Detroit Boiler Company parking lot on the North side of Spot Lite (on Beaufait street). Security personnel will be monitoring parked vehicles during the event.
Sahra is presented in partnership with the Arab American National Museum and with ARAB: A Real Arab Blueprint, an exhibition and programmatic series in Detroit that explores the experience of Arab creatives.
Sahra was originally scheduled on Saturday, April 10, 2021.