Judo World Championship Opening Ceremony-Abu Dhabi

Set inside an arena where tradition and strength collide, Tony was invited to choreograph and direct the prestigious opening of the Abu Dhabi Judo Championships. The brief: create something that paid respect to heritage, elevated the sport, and captivated a global audience.

Tony’s approach merged the raw physicality of judo with the precision of performance. Ayala dancers moved in grounded unison while live musicians played rhythms that echoed both ceremony and suspense. Professional judo fighters performed staged sequences woven seamlessly with contemporary dance—blurring the lines between combat and choreography.

With 20 dancers onstage and over a dozen cultural performers involved, the scale was ambitious. But Tony shaped it all into a single unified language—movement as storytelling, rhythm as respect.

The ceremony landed as both a nod to Emirati identity and a celebration of global sport. A powerful, moving fusion that turned the opening act into something unforgettable—not just an introduction, but an invocation.