Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 20:52:00

Founded by Syrian choreographer Alaa Krimed, Sima Performing Arts is a studio and performance space in Warehouse 38 of Alserkal Avenue, the contemporary arts district in Al Quoz. The company grew out of Sima Dance Company, started in Damascus in 2003 and later based in Beirut, before relocating to Dubai and opening its own space in Alserkal Avenue in 2017. Krimed and the company won the Arabs Got Talent title in 2014, and the troupe is regarded as a pioneer in bringing contemporary dance to audiences across the Middle East. On most days the warehouse works as a rehearsal room for the resident dancers, while also running a programme of classes spanning contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, salsa and drama for all ages and levels. The all-black, industrial space converts readily into a small theatre, with movable dance flooring, stage lighting, a sound system and seating for around 150 people. Beyond dance, the venue hosts in-house productions, talks, screenings, workshops and private events, and is hired out for product launches and photo shoots that suit its raw, urban backdrop. Its place within Alserkal Avenue puts it among the galleries, studios and cafes that have made Al Quoz the centre of Dubai's independent art scene. By combining a working dance company with public classes and a flexible stage, Sima has carved out a niche for contemporary performance in a city with few dedicated dance spaces. Performances are typically intimate, with audiences seated close to the dancers in a way the larger municipal halls cannot replicate, giving the company's contemporary work an immediacy that suits the form. As one of the anchor tenants of Alserkal Avenue, Sima has helped establish the district as a place where live performance sits alongside visual art. Its combination of a resident professional company, an open class programme and a hireable stage has made it a rare year-round home for dance in a city where dedicated spaces for the art form remain scarce.