Best buddies

Yoav Grinberg and Gil Kerer, brought together by ‘destiny,’ present an evening of their new works.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
Yoav Grinberg and Gil Kerer (photo credit: PR)
Yoav Grinberg and Gil Kerer
(photo credit: PR)
Eight years ago, Yoav Grinberg and Gil Kerer chatted as they applied multiple layers of orange makeup to their faces, chests and arms. Part of their costume as dancers in the Israeli Opera’s production of La Forza del Destino, a fake tan was one of the many accouterments that Grinberg and Kerer wore as they made their way to the stage. They had no idea that less than a decade later they would find themselves presenting a joint evening of their choreographies.
On Saturday night, Grinberg and Kerer will present Between Us and Tragic Magic.
La Forza afforded Grinberg and Kerer the opportunity to get to know each other, forging a friendship that has endured to this day. The two dancers could not be more different. Grinberg is boisterous, outgoing and sarcastic. Kerer is serene and thoughtful. Their professional lives took them in many directions. Grinberg became one of the original dancers in Barak Marshall’s many productions, was invited to work with a long list of choreographers in Israel and abroad and eventually began to choreograph. Kerer joined the Vertigo Dance Company, where he first tried his hand at creating his own work. His solo piece Dive went on to win first place at the Machol Shalem International Choreography Competition.
Throughout all the twists and turns, Grinberg and Kerer remained in close contact. Then, in 2013, they performed together in Rachel Erdos’s Hevel.
Tragic Magic is Grinberg’s first stab at choreography. The solo was created for the Machol Shalem Festival in Jerusalem earlier this year. Itzik Amir performs the piece with Omri Albo and Or Algrisi. Of the work, Grinberg writes, “The piece is dedicated to Dudu Topaz, RIP.
The moment that Number Two succeeds in surpassing Number One. Is the desire of the person in second place always to be second? Does the manager of a famous singer secretly want to touch center stage and be famous? Must the show always go on? My name is Yoav Grinberg. After years as a dancer and actor, it is my desire to be Number One and to create a new world.”
Grinberg’s creation is funny, poignant and smart, bringing an unusual energy to the stage.
Combining theater and movement, he strikes at the heart of the performance field.
Kerer’s duet Between Us, performed together with Ayala Frenkel, is about the quest for intimacy. On stage are a man and a woman, seemingly together but desperately apart. Although this couple yearns for contact, it is often just out of their reach.
Though Kerer has yet to reach the age of 30, this creation sheds light on maturity well beyond his years. Kerer and Frenkel move beautifully together, sensing each other with every cell of their bodies.
Grinberg and Kerer’s evening takes place on January 24 at 9 p.m. at the Yerushalmi Hall of the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv. For more information, visit www.suzannedellal.org.il.