OCTOBER 2008 HOME
With a record 60 participants, the dancers from The Jewish Federation’s second Choreography Master Class took to the stage this summer in Tel Aviv’s Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre in “a beautiful and moving performance that spoke to the fruitfulness of this partnership,” said Idan Cohen, a participating choreographer and veteran of the well-known Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. The dancers from Los Angeles and Tel Aviv combined their talents and skills, displaying the dialogue between the various cultures they represented as well as between traditional and modern dance, explored through a range of movements, from Native American and Thai to Jewish and Israeli. And what thrilled Miki Yerushalmy, Tel Aviv Chair of the Performing Arts Committee for the Federation’s Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership, was the “wonderful audience that filled the auditorium and came to see the performance, not of the Batsheva Dance Company or the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, but rather an incredible combination of moving works of young and talented creators.” But beyond the performances that completed this ongoing master class are the connections and learning experiences that take place as a result of the partnership. For choreographer Cohen, this year’s class followed last April’s “wonderful and fruitful” trip to Los Angeles where “the hospitality and the organization…were exemplary, and the sense of warmth and admiration was so strong that I truly felt fortunate to take part and have a role in the project.” “It's no secret that the life of an artist engaged in dance in Israel is not always simple,” added Cohen, referring to the issues of budgets, space and advancement of dance in Israel. Yet the trip to Los Angeles and its culminating performance at UCLA – whose Department of World Arts and Cultures hosted the group – resulted in opening many professional doors for Cohen and his fellow dancers, including a teaching opportunity in Scotland and a performance for Cohen’s company at the Skirball Cultural Center next year. “The clear sense that prevailed during the courses at Suzanne Dellal and the course at UCLA was one of admiration, commitment and genuine love – first and foremost to the creator and the creation,” he said. “All our needs in Los Angeles were met, places to work were always at our disposal, and the general feeling was one of true creative joy.” For actor and participant Amit Zamir, the workshop this summer also acted as a “bridge” between the worlds of theater and dance. “I really feel that I learned techniques that will help me be a better actor, dancer and creator,” said Zamir. “The time just flew as we absorbed different tastes, worked with new people and saw different works and a range of techniques.” For Yerushalmy, it’s clear that the dance workshops are “another milestone” in the ongoing success of the Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership. For more information about the Federation’s Tel Aviv/
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