Curtain Up 2009: Celebrating 20 Years of Israeli Premieres

The Curtain Up 2009 poster.  Courtesy of Ora Lapidot PR. The annual Curtain Up festival has figured prominently in my understanding and appreciation of Israeli contemporary dance.  Every autumn, this festival presents a fresh harvest of premieres by some of the field’s most promising choreographers.  I have now attended Curtain Up twice, and both seasons introduced me to some new faces and showcased the latest creations by choreographers whom I was already following. As the buzz about this year’s 20th anniversary celebration grew, I wanted to find out more about the history of Curtain Up.  I talked with each of the six ...

No Ballet and Lots of Israeli Dance

Sisters by Michal Hersonski and Shira Ben Zeev.  Photo by Günter Krämmer. Ballet is verboten at the No Ballet competition in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and applicants are encouraged to present innovative, adventurous choreography that speaks to the future rather than to traditional aesthetic sensibilities.  So it’s no wonder that Israel, with its growing field of contemporary dance, contributed a record six participants to this year’s select pool of competitors: Dafi Altbeb, Tami & Ronen Yitzhaki, Nadar Rosano, Reut Shemesh, Nadine Bommer, and Michal Hersonski & Shira Ben Zeev.Michal Hersonski and Shira Ben Zeev. Photo courtesy of the choreographers.It is a tribute to ...

Israeli Dance: What’s Happening in November

November is a month of festivals and foreign tours.  For more details about these events and other performances, visit Dance In Israel’s Calendars. At HomeLee In Soo’s Modern Feeling is part of Tel Aviv Dance.  Photo courtesy of Ora Lapidot. Tel Aviv Dance 2009 is in full swing at the Suzanne Dellal Center and the Opera House.  Still to come are companies and choreographers from France, Spain, Korea, and Israel.  Check out the lineup in Tel Aviv Dance 2009 Mixes Global and Local Dance and get to the theater from now until November 13 to catch some of the best international dance ...