Trying something novel

Consummate dancer/choreographer Ido Tadmor presents three new works

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
Ida Tadmor (photo credit: courtesy)
Ida Tadmor
(photo credit: courtesy)
In the landscape of Israeli artists, Ido Tadmor’s image stands out prominently. A star dancer, choreographer, public persona, television celebrity and fashion designer, among other things, Tadmor is a wellknown, well-loved member of the Tel Aviv creative elite. For years, he has showcased his phenomenal physique in self-choreographed solos or pieces made by internationally acclaimed artists. On Friday night at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv, Tadmor will present a new evening of work created for him by local emerging artists. Entitled “Three Works by Three Artists in One Night,” Tadmor’s event will feature two world premieres by choreographers Rachel Erdos and Ariel Cohen, as well as a duet by Holland-based dance-maker Itzik Gallili.
Tadmor is a great example of an artist who has chosen to remain on the stage beyond the conventionally accepted age for a dancer. At 47, Tadmor is perhaps the most mature male dancer actively performing in Israel today. By maintaining a strict training discipline, Tadmor has managed to sustain flawless physicality and grace, keeping the stage door wide open to him.
He began his career at the Bat Dor Dance Academy, going on to join the Bat Dor Dance Company as a soloist.
From there, he was offered a place in the prestigious Batsheva Dance Company. Five years later, Tadmor accepted an offer from world-famous choreographer Lar Lubovich to join his successful New York City troupe. There, Tadmor worked with Michael Baryshnikov and received rave reviews.
He returned to Israel for a short stint to regroup. then set sail for Scapino Ballet in the Netherlands.
Upon finally docking in Tel Aviv, Tadmor established himself as a teacher and choreographer, the artistic director of the Ido Tadmor Dance Company, then later as a judge on the television program Born To Dance and a leading actor in film and television. His acclaimed dance pieces include Maktub, Sima’s Pot, Magrit and Beasts.
Tadmor has been able to keep his audience’s attention partly due to the fact that he has a constant need to reinvent himself, exposing new talents and passions. This new evening program shows, once again, that Tadmor is never satisfied to rest. Rather, he enjoys tackling new challenges.
It is clear from Tadmor’s choices that he had variety on the brain when he approached Erdos and Cohen, two very different artists. Erdos’s work is soft, intimate and intelligent, while Cohen’s is sharp, unpredictable and gutsy.
Both artists told Billboard that Tadmor was a willing participant in their individual creative processes. “He is such a hard worker,” said Erdos with admiration. “We tried out a lot of very difficult sequences, and he was always willing to run the sections again and again. It was so impressive.”
As for the results, it is certain that we will be privy to new perspective on Tadmor’s personality on stage Friday night, thanks to Erdos and Cohen.
“Three Works by Three Artists in One Evening” will run on Friday at 9 p.m. at the Suzanne Dellal Center. For tickets, visit www.suzannedellal.org.il or call (03) 510-5656.