Does the national anthem make you want to kick up your heels and dance? No? Well, think again. Choreographer Renana Raz is taking a new look at national anthems in her new dance piece The Diplomats, created to a soundtrack of national anthems from a diverse selection of countries. The Diplomats will premiere with Barak Marshall’s new work Wonderland in a joint evening on December 2, 2011 at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv as part of International Exposure 2011.
Raz and Marshall are both independent choreographers, each with a distinct individual style and a repertoire worth seeing. Marshall, who began his choreographic career in 1995 winning the Gvanim BeMahol (Shades of Dance) competition with Aunt Leah, is best known for his recent works Rooster (2009) and Monger (2008), currently touring worldwide. In Wonderland, Marshall has once more assembled an amazingly talented cast of dancers to perform his intricate, unbelievably fast-paced choreography. Marshall said that he is inspired by different sources in his work, mentioning Lorca’s Blood Wedding, Etgar Keret’s Kneller’s Happy Campers and Greek myth as points of departure for his artistic process with Wonderland.
The journey of ten lost souls in a mysterious, undefined space – limbo, purgatory or perhaps an abandoned factory – according to the choreographer these characters are “trying to find their way home, find love, hope…” Poised between dance and theatre, Wonderland includes sections with text, and a quick peek at the work in the studio promises laughter along the way. Marshall’s work always reflects a strong connection to music, in this case, he said the work is “Macedonian…built off a lot of Balkan brass bands.”
Music and folklore in relation to identity have been integral elements in several of Renana Raz’s past works. Kazuaria (2006) was inspired by the Druze Debka music and dance, while We Have Been Called to Go (2002) explores the myths of Israeli culture as expressed in sing-a-longs and folk dancing. Raz inscribes a different path with her work on The Diplomats. Although she is working with national anthems, Raz endeavors to take this music out of its political context. Raz began working on The Diplomats by listening to the music of national anthems without the lyrics to explore the possibility of listening to them as music, allowing associations to emerge through this process. The costumes for this work were created with national flags in mind, creating an international collage of color.
Although The Diplomats was created as an attempt to work with the music detached from its political context, Raz said, “I don’t think that it is possible these days to do anything that is not political.” A look at the work in the studio reveals a talented cast of dancers who convey a complex, expressive work – from the most subtle nuance to a visceral surge of energy.
The Diplomats and Wonderland will be performed on December 22 and 23, 2011, check the Suzanne Dellal site for details. Tickets are 120/100 NIS and may be purchased online or call: 03-5105656.
Renana Raz – The Diplomats
Music: National anthems of Denmark, Turkey, Malaysia, Cameroom, Iran (1896 – 1933), Chechnya, Mauritania, Brazil, Aruba, Libya, The Russian Empire, Sami People (a nation of people in Lapland – North Finland), Japan and Malta; Soundtrack Design: Or Moran; Dancers: Nir Benita, Avi Mazliah, Inbar Nemirovsky, Rita Komissarchik, Dor Raby, Adar Riklis; Costume Design: Inbal Leiblich; Lighting Design: Yaacov Baressi.
Barak Marshall – Wonderland
Text, Soundtrack and Set Design: Barak Marshall; Voice Design: Yuri Politi; Music: Blehorkestar Bkija Bakic from Vranje, Jascha Heifetz, Kocani Orkestar, Fanfare Ciocarlia, The Barry Sisters, Fritz Kreisler, Anatol Stefanet, Balkan Beat Box; Dancers: Nir Benita, Yoav Grinberg, Tom Weinberger, Efrat Levi, Avi Mazliah, Inbar Nemirovsky, Rita Komissarchik, Dor Raby, Adar Riklis, Shiran Sharabi; Costume Design: Maor Tsabar; Lighting Design: Yaacov Baressi.
