By ORA BRAFMAN‘DU-K’ is the title of dance show produced by Eyal Dadon founder of SOL Dance Company of Beersheba.(photo credit: SHI LEI)
Eyal Dadon, founder of SOL Dance Company of Beersheba, received an offer from a festival in Xian, China, to create a work with the Beijing 9 Contemporary Dance Company. Dadon offered to explore the theme of coexistence, but combined with individuality, both personal and cultural.When co-production DU-K (a Hebrew acronym for “coexistence”) materialized, it became evident that Dadon hadn’t taken the easy way out by adopting a populist approach and relying on constant rhythmic unisons, simple formations and technical virtuosity. He also avoided being swept up by the allure of superficial exoticism and wisely stuck to the artistic integrity which is his forte.The result is a highly aesthetic work that succeeds in fusing the two companies into a single unit with similar spirit and energy, and also a unified technical approach to that international language called contemporary dance. The refined way in which Dadon implanted subtle Chinese elements, like the sound of a drum, or clay masks, was highly effective.On stage we witnessed a fine ensemble of 14 dancers, clad in simple grey outfits, enjoying their common denominator: movement and dance.This very talented choreographer showed great sensitivity to spatial use and compositional elements. On one hand, he concocted several impressive large scenes with captivating sentences and unique phrasing, while on the other he revealed an assured hand and a keen eye for detail in weaving great duets.Although DU-K had lost its momentum toward the end, it will be remembered for its originality, beauty and strong, tight execution.
