Dance Review: 'Horses In The Sky'

Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Herzliya, May 8.

By ORA BRAFMAN
A SCENE FROM ‘Horses In The Sky.’ (photo credit: EYAL HIRSH)
A SCENE FROM ‘Horses In The Sky.’
(photo credit: EYAL HIRSH)
The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company premiered its new creation, Horses In The Sky by choreographer and artistic director Rami Be’er, at its annual festive gala on May 8.
Be’er shared one of his inspirational sources during the program, quoting a song by Canadian group Thee Silver Mt.
Zion Memorial Orchestra that is part of the soundtrack for Horses. The lyrics speak of a promise to a “broken lamb” to fetch her “horses in the sky,” and include lines such as “violence brings more violence/ And liars bring more lies.” Be’er has deployed poetry with socio-political connotations before, and although the lyrics are not as important as the mood, state of mind or ambiance they lend a suggestive underlayer to the rather abstract actions taking place on stage.
It was a particular pleasure to see KCDC with a very powerful cadre of male and female dancers; quick, fit, with strong stage presence. From the start, Be’er seemed to embrace more open, freer body perception and more vivid movement syntax.
Potent lighting accentuated the wave-like progression that seemed to take place in desolate land, without obligations to any specific point in time; the dancers were motivated from within, tuned to their bodies and inner rhythms. The pulsating music kept recharging the energy, keeping the urgency up, as the larger compositions crumbled into fragments and regrouped.
With keen eye and polished craftsmanship, Be’er has created cohesive work, with strong, aesthetic visuals and great attention to detail yet without much room for the unexpected. Many moves and gestures challenge viewers to decipher the content under the form.
However, at one point a slight shift occurred, perhaps after the scene where the dancers came back with large red masking tape on their mouths, which seemed a bit too explicit a statement, deviating from the mood set so carefully earlier.
The piece had gotten somewhat diffused, crowded with unison sections, and lost some of its tension.
Even so, Be’er’s work, one of his best, is solid, well structured, enjoys impressive dancing and remains within its niche as a well-executed mainstream contemporary dance.