A captivated audience

Noa Dar’s new piece ‘Ananotza’ sweeps children into an enthralling dream-like reality.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
Ananotza 370 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Ananotza 370
(photo credit: Courtesy)
As many elementary school teachers will tell you, keeping the attention of a group of children can be a daunting task. Little people are notoriously flighty with their focus, making educators and entertainers fight for each moment of their precious energy. That said, when kids do tune in, they could be the most rewarding audience anyone could hope for.
Choreographer Noa Dar has much experience in this field. In recent years, Dar has produced Tetris, Anu and Arnica. Her work has been seen on stages around Israel and at reputable festivals around the world. As the director of her own dance group, Dar strives to include all ages in her target audience. Aside from her work as a contemporary choreographer of concert dance, Dar has been known to titillate the little ones with her larger-thanlife imagination.
The creator of two successful and long-running children’s dance performances, Dar knows how to time a production to suit the needs of even the most distracted groups. Her previous performances Children’s Games and The Dream Is a Great Painter have been shown in virtually every school in Israel.
This holiday season, Dar unveiled her newest children’s opus, Ananotza. The first performance was given in late September at the Suzanne Dellal Center.
Over the next two weekends, she will provide additional opportunities to be among the first to enjoy a piece that will surely be woven into the fabric of Israeli children’s theater.
The new work is a trio that follows three women through a dream-like reality. The scenes are ever-changing, twisting and turning through the collective imagination of Dar’s three captivating characters. With an abstract set and colorful costumes by Paulina Adamov, Ananotza renders an unforgettable visual. Throughout the piece, the dancers interact with the set, emerging from and leaping off a concealed ledge in the backdrop.
For the creative process of this work, musician Daniel Salomon, whose magical score whisks audiences away into an alternate universe, joined Dar. Original text by Shira Gefen is delivered throughout the piece, providing a context for the solos, duets and trios danced beautifully by Stav Marin, Maayan Horesh and Or Avishay.
Although the piece does not have a set narrative, many themes are presented that connect with the everyday lives of children.
Ananotza was created with the support of The Israel Lottery Council of the Arts’ Afim Project, which promotes the creation of high-quality children’s theater.
Ananotza will be performed on October 6 & October 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the Suzanne Dellal Center. For tickets, visit www.suzannedellal.org.il.