Dance Review: 'Rushes/Saudade'

Stage magic and extraordinary interactions that transcend reality flood the new production by Pinto's troupe.

By ORA BRAFMAN
dance review 88 (photo credit: )
dance review 88
(photo credit: )
Inbal Pinto Company Directed by Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Rushes/Saudade Suzanne Dellal Tel Aviv March 11 Stage magic and extraordinary interactions that transcend reality flood the new production by Pinto's troupe, which presented two very different works: Rushes by Pinto-Pollak in cooperation with Robby Barnett of Pilobolus, and Saudade (sadness), by Talia Beck. Rushes was originally created for Pilobolus and was part of the repertoire on its visit last year. It was by far the best piece the dance theater presented in years. This brilliant creation was performed immaculately by highly accomplished dancers, who left a trail of sparks long after the lights came down. Rushes, when performed by Pinto-Pollak dancers, acquired different qualities, strengthening the theatrical facets and its inherent human touch, juggling between physical humor of virtuosic quality next to soulful, moody moments. This comedy-dance obviously drank from the fountain of the theater of the absurd and nibbled on some roots imbedded in the silent film era. It throbbed with soul and never-ending visual beauty and was marvelously executed by this cast of nine dancers. Talia Beck, a dancer with the company, created Saudade, a piece for five female dancers set to an original score by Tom Tlalim. She achieved a cohesive dance with its own characteristics, hand gestures, fragmented inner rhythms and haunting ambiance of alternative states of consciousness. The dancers froze with mask-like expressions and hollow eyes, as if transfixed by outside force. With subtle touches, Beck managed to infuse the austere mood with abstract images from Swan Lake, symbolic marks of longing which transcend reality. It was quite intriguing and carried scents of bygone times and codes with hesitant religious overtones. It was a rather impressive achievement for a young choreographer.