The Batsheva Dance Company will present a two-part evening of new works by leading Israeli choreographers Yasmeen Godder and Sharon Eyal, premiering on December 30, 2011.
The Toxic Exotic Disappearance Act by Yasmeen Godder is inspired by Viviane Sassen’s book of photographs Flamboya. Sassen, who was born in Holland and grew up in Africa, returned there to photograph images from her memories. Godder said, “I used this inspiration to build a work in which veiling, hiding, shading and disappearance, paradoxically enable identity to emerge, remain present and true to itself. Building the world of play between limitation and fantasy, in which the characters merge to create new delineations that define them in an individual way; at once obliterating and emphasizing their solitude.” Godder worked with five dancers: Iyar Elezra, Chen-Wei Lee, Shamel Pitts, Guy Shomroni, and Erez Zohar. Her creative partners are: Itzik Giuli – dramaturgy; Alona Roda – stage and props; Eran Shanny – costume design; Panda Porn (Alma Ben-Yossef & Tomer Rosenthal) – music. This is the second work that Godder has choreographed for Batsheva, the first, “Sadot Yerukim” (Green Fields) was in 2000.
Sharon Eyal has danced and created in Batsheva for 22 years, this will be her 5th work choreographed for the company. Sharon Eyal and Guy Behar have created “Hofesh’s Piece” – a 30 minute work in which there are breakdowns of different kinds – in the space, within the family, in communication. The work is composed of several parts like small families gathered together. Eyal and Behar are joined by longtime creative partner Ori Lichtik who has once more created the soundtrack for their work. The dancers: Shahar Binyamini, Matan David, Shani Garfinkel, Rebecca Hytting, Doug Letheren, Yaara Moses, Ori Ofri, Rachael Osborne, Ian Robinson, Bobbi Smith, Stav Struz, Adi Zlatin.
Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi) created the lighting design for both works.
Performances will take place: December 30 & 31, 2011; January 2 and 4 – 7, 2012. For additional information, consult the Batsheva Dance Company site.
