The Third (2023) enacts a Sudanese bridal dance that traditionally culminates
weeklong wedding celebrations. Umar performs the bride expected to display her beauty and wealth while
choreographing the newlyweds journey from courtship onwards. Talitin, meaning "third" in Arabio, alludes to a local insult - being "the third of the girls" - targeted at boys interested in so-called womanly activities. Through its wearables, fabrics,
and braids, the artist reclaims a pratice that he witnessed first hand from the women in his family - until his exclusion once he reached puberty. The songs played are a praise to the bride's family
and also the soundscape for her to showcase her new curves.
