“I think of myself mostly as a facilitator, cheerleader, and holder of space…
…someone to talk through ideas with, or even to ignore when you need to. When mentoring or teaching, I want you to feel empowered, emboldened, and held as you try out new ideas or deepen an existing practice. I believe you are in charge of your own journey — I'm just here to support.”
In her teaching, Gabri Christa creates space for all ages and abilities — beginning with mindful awareness of body and breath, and opening from there into exploration that is vulnerable, brave, and joyful.
For Gabri, screendance is where the choreography of the camera and the choreography for the camera meet. As a filmmaker, she was significantly shaped by her collaboration with Leonard Retel Helmrich and his Single Shot Cinema methodology, developing this further through her own embodied approach to the form. She created and teaches the Screendance course at Barnard College/Columbia University, and teaches regularly at festivals and institutions including Dance Camera West in Los Angeles.
Gabri began practicing yoga at age 9 at her local Yogoda Math Ashram in Curaçao with Leo Floridas and teaching at age 14. Primarily trained in Kriya and Hatha Yoga, she maintains a consistent personal practice and holds certificates in Yin Yoga, Myofascial Release, Post-Traumatic Growth, and the Vagus Nerve and Yoga. Her classes weave together Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation in a teaching style that is anatomical, attentive, and accessible. She offers multiple entry points where kindness and challenge meet, and where listening to one's own body is central. Yoga is a practice you can return to for life — adapting as the body changes and meets new demands.
Photo by Guy deLancey
“The magic of Gabri’s classroom is that it is always exactly what you need it to be — healing, transformative, educational, inviting.”
— Bianca Vivion Brooks, Writer, Artist, Producer
teaching experience
Professor of Professional Practice, Department of Dance, Barnard College, Columbia University, 2016 – Present
Barnard College Courses include Composition: Screendance, Dance in Film, Contemporary Caribbean, Composition: Form, Modern 2 & 3, Yoga for Dancers
Founding Faculty Director, Movement Lab, Barnard College, 2018–2025
Previous positions at College of Staten Island (CUNY), Manhattanville College, Princeton University, New York University (NYU), University of Washington and Instituto Superior de Arte, University of Havana.
Lectures & guest teaching for Yale University, Columbia University, Kenyon College, Princeton University, UC Riverside, Connecticut College, UNC Greensboro, New Waves Institute in Barbados, ACDA Screendance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, The Ohio State / Doris Duke Foundation.
“Gabri’s screendance course provided the perfect balance of theory and practice. I left feeling empowered and ready to make decisions without questioning my instincts, which is one of the most important skills on a professional set.”
— Kosta Karakashyan, Choreographer & Filmmaker
GABRI PROVIDES MENTORSHIP TO ARTISTS IN THE FIELDS OF FILM, MOVEMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY:
“Gabri dives deep into your mind and your character, guiding you from your own perspective while still challenging you, pushing you further, and opening up new approaches and ideas. She continues thinking about your process, often calling later for in-depth conversations that spark new ideas and momentum for the next time you’re in the studio.”
– Faizah Grootens
Choreographer (Amsterdam)
“Gabri models what it means to be an artist who constantly seeks her own growth while supporting the development of others. Through her mentorship with Grass Stains [a site-specific choreographic project], South Florida artists experience her rare combination of rigorous feedback, empathy, and curiosity.”
— Pioneer Winter
Founder & Choreographer,
Pioneer Winter Collective (Miami)
“What Gabri’s mentorship has ultimately offered me is a sense of courage—courage to trust my artistic instincts, to build bridges across geographies, and to remain grounded while pursuing ambitious creative work. I continue to seek her advice because she brings clarity, honesty, and a fierce commitment to artistic integrity. And perhaps most importantly, she reminds me that it is possible to do all of this while remaining generous, grounded, and unapologetically bold.”
— Sumedha Bhattacharyya
Screendance Artist,
Founder of Duet with a Camera (New Delhi)
PUBLICATIONS
Guest editor with Sheril Antonio, “To Make Visible Everywhere: Our Bold, Aging, Beautiful Bodies,” The Scholar and Feminist Online, vol. 19, no. 1, Summer 2023.
“Where we Dance Now: Screendance Festivals and Online Audiences,” co-authored with Bench, Christa, Guadarrama, Hagan, Hargraves, The International Journal of Screendance, vol. 12, 2021.
“Dance Magic Dance: A Case Study of AR/360 Video and the Performing Arts,” co-authored with Hibbert, M., Christa, G., Seeley, A., & Lee, A. In C. Elliot, M. Rose, Augmented and Virtual Reality in Libraries, edited by J. van Arnhem, C. Elliott, and M. Rose, Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
“The Wisdom of Insecurity as a Guide to Music and Dance Collaboration,” in A Life in Dance: A Practical Guide, edited by Rebecca Stenn and Fran Kirmser, CreateSpace, 2017.
“From Choreographer to Director,” in Dance on Camera Journal, vol. 14, no. 5, 2010.
“Another Building Dancing: Making ‘Quarantine’ and ‘Savoneta,’” The Scholar and Feminist Online, vol. 7, no. 2, 2009.
“De smaak van zand,” in De Antillen en ik, edited by John Leerdam, Volkskrant / Meulenhoff, 2008.
“Tambu, Afro Curaçao's Music and Dance of Resistance,” in Caribbean Dance from Abakua to Zouk, edited by Susanna Sloat, University of Florida Press, 2003.
JOURNAL
