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Leyya Mona Tawil, also known as Lime Rickey International, is an artist working with dance, sound and performance practices. Tawil is a Syrian, Palestinian, American engaged in the world as such. Her articulation of Arab Experimentalism embeds political sub-narratives and cultural confusions into the performance fabric. Her performance scores have been presented throughout the US, Europe and the Arab world; and featured in the New York Times, American Theatre and PAJ: Journal of Performance and Art. Highlights include Irtijal18 (Beirut), After the Last Sky Festival (Berlin), New York Live Arts (NYC), Bimhuis (Amsterdam), TransDance14 (Cairo) and the Syrian National Opera House (Damascus). She is a 2018 Saari Residency Fellow (Finland) and AirSpace Resident Artist at Abrons Art Center (NYC). Tawil is the director of DANCE ELIXIR, Temescal Art Center and Arab.AMP - a new platform for the work of Arab Experimentalists. She was a guest columnist for San Francisco MOMA’s Open Space; and has been published in Movement Research’s Critical Correspondence, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking and Detroit Research Journal. CV 1 pg |
photo by Vesa Loikas
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"extraordinary" - New York Times
Leyya Mona Tawil, also known as LIME RICKEY INTERNATIONAL, is an artist working with dance and music practices. She is a Syrian-Palestinian-American engaged in the world as such. Tawil is the director of ELIXIR and TAC: Temescal Art Center. Her work has been presented in 16 countries and throughout the states. Her approach to experimental performance is based on conceptual scoring and location-based variables. Her work has been discussed and reviewed in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, American Theatre, NEA Art Talks, Movement Research's Critical Correspondence, and the PAJ: Journal of Performance and Art. She is a guest Columnist for SF MOMA's Open Space, and has published essays in Detroit Research Journal and QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking.
"extraordinary" - New York Times
Leyya Mona Tawil, also known as LIME RICKEY INTERNATIONAL, is an artist working with dance and music practices. She is a Syrian-Palestinian-American engaged in the world as such. Tawil is the director of ELIXIR and TAC: Temescal Art Center. Her work has been presented in 16 countries and throughout the states. Her approach to experimental performance is based on conceptual scoring and location-based variables. Her work has been discussed and reviewed in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, American Theatre, NEA Art Talks, Movement Research's Critical Correspondence, and the PAJ: Journal of Performance and Art. She is a guest Columnist for SF MOMA's Open Space, and has published essays in Detroit Research Journal and QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking.
Tawil is a 2018 Saari Fellow, supported by the Kone Foundation (Finland) and an AIRspace Artist at Abrons Art Center (NYC). Tawil is currently working on Lime Rickey International's Future Faith for its premiere at Abrons Art Center / Underground in March 2019.
Tawil is a cultural activist and leader in the Arab American live art scene. In 2018, she launched Arab.AMP - a nomadic production platform that celebrates and presents the plurality of Arab artists operating in futurism, the Avant Garde and experimental live art and music. She also serves on the advisory board of daringdances, led by Dr. Clare Croft; and has presented/lectured on Arab Experimentalism at conferences, public gatherings and panels internationally.
Past Residencies include KUNST-STOFF arts (San Francisco), A.M. Qattan Foundation (Ramallah), Detroit Contemporary (Detroit), NooderparkKamer (Amsterdam), Hotel Pupik (Austria), Studio Emad Eddin (Cairo) and Central City Artist Project (New Orleans). In 2014 and 2016, she was a SPAR resident artist at Pushkinskaya-10 Art Center in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Collaboration/Production:
The mainstay of her work is collaboration. She and Detroit-based violinist Mike Khoury have been collaborating for over a decade under the name Tawil & Khoury. Tawil's performance scores for dancers and musicians have involved many incredible artists including Dominic Cramp, Mike Guarino, Mark Gergis, Ava Mendoza, Hilary Jeffery, Manuela Tessi, Ricardo Esway, Lenny Gonzalez, Jason Lescalleet, Devin Hoff and Sarah Hennies.
Her scores have been presented at the Irtijal18 (Beirut), Der Bloede Dritte Mittwoch (Vienna), Bimhuis (Amsterdam), MOCAD (Detroit), Soweiso (Berlin), Arab American National Museum (Dearborn), Street Art Museum (St. Petersburg), Suomenlinna-Helsinki UNESCO World Heritage Site, Museum of Nonconformist Art (St.Petersburg), The Front (New Orleans), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco), the Soap Factory (Minneapolis), Pivot Art (Seattle) and COTFG (Austin).
Curation/Programming:
Since 1997, Leyya has worked as the Director and Curator of TAC: Temescal Arts Center, a venue for experimental and community arts in Oakland, California. At TAC, Tawil has created multiple programs including TACmusic:: and Dabke with Us! - Palestinian Dance & Music Program.
She is the director and lead curator of Arab.AMP - see above.
Academics:
Tawil received her BDA from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, School of Music, and her MFA from Mills College-Oakland. Tawil has received numerous grants and awards including the University of Michigan 2008 Emerging Artist Award. From 2007-2009, Tawil was the Middlebury College (VT) Artist-In-Residence, and has also held faculty positions at the University of Michigan and University of San Francisco. She has taught interdisciplinary workshops worldwide, and has been commissioned by numerous universities throughout the states.
Video/Film:
Her concept videos have been presented by SF MOMA - Open Space, The Flea (NYC), and Hotel Pupik (Austria); including "Quieting Heart: Attempt #5", which received the 510 Arts Best of Oakland award in 2010. A 2-DVD series of her collaborative work with Mike Khoury was created by Wil Soderburg and released on the Detroit Improvisation label. Her works for digital media have been screened in New York City, Detroit and St. Petersburg (RU).
Photos:
Tawil is a cultural activist and leader in the Arab American live art scene. In 2018, she launched Arab.AMP - a nomadic production platform that celebrates and presents the plurality of Arab artists operating in futurism, the Avant Garde and experimental live art and music. She also serves on the advisory board of daringdances, led by Dr. Clare Croft; and has presented/lectured on Arab Experimentalism at conferences, public gatherings and panels internationally.
Past Residencies include KUNST-STOFF arts (San Francisco), A.M. Qattan Foundation (Ramallah), Detroit Contemporary (Detroit), NooderparkKamer (Amsterdam), Hotel Pupik (Austria), Studio Emad Eddin (Cairo) and Central City Artist Project (New Orleans). In 2014 and 2016, she was a SPAR resident artist at Pushkinskaya-10 Art Center in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Collaboration/Production:
The mainstay of her work is collaboration. She and Detroit-based violinist Mike Khoury have been collaborating for over a decade under the name Tawil & Khoury. Tawil's performance scores for dancers and musicians have involved many incredible artists including Dominic Cramp, Mike Guarino, Mark Gergis, Ava Mendoza, Hilary Jeffery, Manuela Tessi, Ricardo Esway, Lenny Gonzalez, Jason Lescalleet, Devin Hoff and Sarah Hennies.
Her scores have been presented at the Irtijal18 (Beirut), Der Bloede Dritte Mittwoch (Vienna), Bimhuis (Amsterdam), MOCAD (Detroit), Soweiso (Berlin), Arab American National Museum (Dearborn), Street Art Museum (St. Petersburg), Suomenlinna-Helsinki UNESCO World Heritage Site, Museum of Nonconformist Art (St.Petersburg), The Front (New Orleans), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco), the Soap Factory (Minneapolis), Pivot Art (Seattle) and COTFG (Austin).
Curation/Programming:
Since 1997, Leyya has worked as the Director and Curator of TAC: Temescal Arts Center, a venue for experimental and community arts in Oakland, California. At TAC, Tawil has created multiple programs including TACmusic:: and Dabke with Us! - Palestinian Dance & Music Program.
She is the director and lead curator of Arab.AMP - see above.
Academics:
Tawil received her BDA from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, School of Music, and her MFA from Mills College-Oakland. Tawil has received numerous grants and awards including the University of Michigan 2008 Emerging Artist Award. From 2007-2009, Tawil was the Middlebury College (VT) Artist-In-Residence, and has also held faculty positions at the University of Michigan and University of San Francisco. She has taught interdisciplinary workshops worldwide, and has been commissioned by numerous universities throughout the states.
Video/Film:
Her concept videos have been presented by SF MOMA - Open Space, The Flea (NYC), and Hotel Pupik (Austria); including "Quieting Heart: Attempt #5", which received the 510 Arts Best of Oakland award in 2010. A 2-DVD series of her collaborative work with Mike Khoury was created by Wil Soderburg and released on the Detroit Improvisation label. Her works for digital media have been screened in New York City, Detroit and St. Petersburg (RU).
Photos: