Bravo and Mazel Tov
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Bravo and Mazel Tov Batsheva Dance Company is still the Judith Brin Ingber top attraction in Israel, though. You might want to re-read Brian Schaefer’s srael has been the fount of many article in the DCA’s spring newsletter things over the centuries, and called “Tel Aviv Diary, Following Dance Idance-wise it is also a burbling to Unexpected Places” to get a sense spring. In the 1960s its modern dance of the excitement and commitment took on an American slant when the company engenders. Several ex- Martha Graham agreed to lend many traordinary events marked Batsheva’s of her works to train the new company 50th anniversary. Celebrations in Tel founded by the Baroness Bethsabée Aviv offered audiences, academics de Rothschild. (Bethsabée in Hebrew is and dance professionals a wide range Batsheva, so the company was named of experiences to appreciate the after its benefactor.) accomplishments of this unique dance Known from its beginning in 1964 company. First there was a two-day as the Batsheva Dance Company, this academic conference presenting troupe has produced many generations scholars from diverse disciplines at Ohad Naharin speaking at Batsheva of dancers and choreographers. Ohad Tel Aviv University, on Wednesday Dance Company's 50th-anniversary gala Naharin, frst a dancer and now the and Thursday, June 18-19, 2014. Those Photo: Gadi Dagon company’s core choreographer, has who attended the conference were also directed the company for the last 24 invited to an open company rehearsal, enhanced by a screening of the flm years. His works are appreciated the on Wednesday evening at Suzanne “Fifty Years of Creation, a Short world over, as is his Gaga Technique. Dellal Dance Centre. A special Collage of Works.” Considering all In addition to Batsheva, his works exhibition introduced the Batsheva the papers and panels, videos and can be seen in companies including Dance Company Archives, opening dance demonstrations, one can only the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater; the on Thursday evening at the Tel Aviv say that diverse opinions ruled Cullberg Ballet; Paris Opera Ballet; Municipal Library. The rousing fnish the day. Attempts to defne Batsheva Lyon Opera Ballet; Hubbard Street was Batsheva’s gala performance as “modern,” “contemporary” or “post- Dance Chicago; Rambert Dance at the Tel Aviv Opera House on modern” broke down, as did endeavors Company and others. Saturday, June 21, 2014. to interpret its repertoire through One way Israeli dance has become The conference was well organized gender studies and feminist theory. well known internationally is through by dance scholar Dr. Liora Malka Even a neat, 50-year timeline for the the remarkable yearly dance festivals Yellin, a professor in the Department company proved elusive. in Israel. The International Exposure of Theatre Arts, with the aid of an An unintended summary of the festival has brought international academic committee; the Dance Library conference could be seen in the subtitle presenters and curators to see dance of Israel directed by Victoria that the Batsheva Archives used for companies and independent dance Khodorkovsky; and the Batsheva its exhibit: “More than One History.” artists over the last 19 winters. Archives directed by Iris Lana with There were so many histories and The Karmiel Festival began as an assistance from Hagar Cygler. The views presented during the two days Israeli folk-dance festival in 1988. conference entitled “The Batsheva that one could see the richness and Now this summer festival presents Dance Company: Body, Dance, Culture,” provocative nature of Batsheva. These Israeli dance of all styles; and several included presentations by dancers, varied opinions were exciting to hear, hundred thousand visitors can also view scholars and artists. Guest speaker because they showed how many valid international companies during this Marc Franko, from Temple University and diverse views can come together week-long event. Other festivals in Philadelphia, delivered the keynote when discussing the company. The include the Curtain Up festival (Arimat address. Dr. Yellin’s enthusiasm was attendees went beyond the usual scholars Masakh). The newest is the Diver palpable as she opened the conference at an academic conference, and they Festival featuring non-mainstream with her thoughts on a possible histo- had many different reasons for coming. subject matter. riography of the Batsheva repertory, During the “Interdisciplinary Panel” Fall/Winter 2014 | DCANews 11 with scholars from the fields of sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, theater professor Freddie Rokem said, “The whole world looks at our dance and the outside says that there’s something Israeli, something authentic,” which seemed to be what many were seeking. Batsheva has represented and embodied its Israeli identity in all its different eras and guises. The body was considered strong and positive in 19th-century Zionism. When Batsheva was created in the 1960s, it was as if Max Nordau, the early Zionist philosopher, was saying, “Here I see my slogan: healthy souls in healthy bodies.” Conferences in the USA allow time for panelists to make rebuttals and for audience members to ask questions, so it was hard to get used to the Israeli Rena Gluck and Galia Gat in Herodiade 1965, Photo: Jacob Agor system of listening to papers without planned response time. Nonetheless, role until just before going on stage. through the strong jumps in the air. All Liora Bing-Heidecker’s paper on That caused terrible tension among dancers wanted to feel what is feminine John Cranko’s 1971 choreography the dancers. and what is masculine, and Graham Song of My People-Forest People-Sea Scholars searched for a vocabulary allowed us this in her works,” Sharni (Ami-Yam Ami-Ya’ar)—the frst dance to describe the Israeli body, as Yael said. The audience broke into applause. work about the Holocaust shown in Nativ proposed in her paper, “An As an Israeli man, Batsheva dancer Israel—caused debate. She said Israeli Body: Images of Masculinity, Moshe Efrati looked different than Cranko asked the dancers to do only Sexuality and Nationality at Batsheva, the typical American male. A flm the simplest movements without Past and Present.” Looking at Graham’s clip of him speaking about his love of expression, while the audience heard Embattled Garden, Nativ said the rhythm and jumping indicated some Uri Zvi Greenberg’s powerful poem choreographer still showed women differences. Rahamim Ron talked about his father disrobing in the whose bodies were part of a symbolic, about auditioning for Graham and his forest in front of his murderers. Some kinetic and social construct belonging innocence coming from folk dancing on conference attendees who had to the West, whereas a transformation the kibbutz—he said he just followed performed in the work stood up to of the Jewish body in Israel liberated the audition class, and didn’t know argue with the presenter. the Jewish male from Diasporic femi- what he was supposed to do. When The second day offered an ninity. As in the Soviet Union, Israeli he received a letter of acceptance, he interview with Rena Gluck, one of men appeared as noble workers. was baffed; though Ron became one the founding Batsheva dancers. A former Batsheva dancer in the of the leading male dancers of the Gluck talked about learning Graham audience, Pam Sharni, argued that company. According to Nativ, the West technique, and what it was like Nativ was stereotyping images of had expectations of men on stage for the Israeli dancers who went to femininity and masculinity in the that were completely foreign to the the Graham studio in New York. repertory prior to Naharin, however. masculine image in Israeli Zionism. She also spoke of how she learned “Maybe men were men, and women She also said that in Naharin’s Graham’s role in Herodiade, and were women, but it was all part choreography today masculinity has a demonstrated different sections of what was happening. I think new look. Movement can be non-sexual of the work displaying her still through the technique lessons with and pure, rather than either feminine or powerful charisma. Gluck also Graham the men could feel something masculine. She asked if we could see described the tedious, incessant way feminine through the contraction, masculine alternatives, with options the dancers had to rehearse, never which was very feminine, and the such as queer and hybrid. Speaking knowing who would perform a Graham women could feel what was masculine from the audience, Rena Gluck 12 DCANews | Fall/Winter 2014 objected to this neat delineation. slightly, and their entire skeleton of the past. Instead, he said that She also stood her ground to describe seems to hold itself and to elevate “the past exists as it is included and the diffculty of working with foreign the fesh gently because of a delicate symbolized in historical memory, and directors who didn’t understand change in physical attitude. Thus, this is why we are rewriting history in Hebrew or the culture, and how that instead of dropping down and following new textures.” distanced them from the dancers and the laws of gravity, the body itself Those attending the conference were the public. creates a new source of energy. In given the added treat of attending an In her paper, Ruth Eshel, critic for consequence, foat exists. Float is one open company rehearsal, held in the the daily Haaretz and editor of the instruction in Gaga classes.” Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and quarterly magazine Dance Today Mark Franko’s keynote, “Historiciz- Theatre. Located in the old, pictur- (Mahkol Ahkshav), spoke about changes ing the ‘Re’ in Danced Reenactment.” esque Neve Tzedek neighborhood of in the company during the 1980s, diverged from the analysis of Tel Aviv, the Suzanne Dellal Centre a transition time between its early Batsheva’s history and repertory has been Batsheva’s home since 1989.