Dance, dance, dance

Fast-paced footwork, flamenco and African moves are just part of what International Tel Aviv Dance 2008 has to offer.

By HELEN KAYE
flamenco feet 88 (photo credit: )
flamenco feet 88
(photo credit: )
Dance festivals seem to have taken over the country, with one coming on the tails of the other. So it should be no surprise that another one is headed our way. Malucos Danza from Spain, Company Kidd Pivot from Canada, BalleTango Buenos Aires, Balinga/Dalvalet from the Republic of Congo and Jonathan Lunn Dance Company from the UK are among the 12 companies who'll join six of ours for International Tel Aviv Dance 2008 from October 23 to November 22. The now-annual festival (the first one was last year) "arose from a perceived need due to the growing demand for dance events from Israeli audiences," said Israel Opera general manager Hannah Munitz. This year, the festival has invited special guests Barak Marshall and Hofesh Shechter. Choreographer/singer Barak Marshall, who attained international renown in 1995-98, offers Monger, his first dance piece in eight years. The fast-paced dance theater piece for 10 dancers will have its world premiere at the festival. The Israeli-born dancer/choreographer Shechter, who now lives and works in the UK, is coming with Uprising and In Your Rooms. The former got him noticed, the latter has made him the hot ticket of UK dance… and got him funding. Malucos combines flamenco with other dance forms to explore notions of power, passion and innocence in Malucos Flamenco. The Canadian company's Lost Action by Crystal Pite looks at the ephemerality of movement and meaning while BalleTango, whose dancers come from the Colon and other top theaters, will enchant with excerpts from the classics and tangos set to Astor Piazolla's immortal music. The Congolese company is one of three from Africa, all of which were prizewinners in the African Dance contest in Tunis, and all combine contemporary and traditional dance culture. Lunn, one of the UK's most respected choreographers, comes with the duet Self Assembly, in which language and movement intertwine. All are making their local debuts, as are the Cedar Lake Ballet from the US and Compania Tania Perez-Salas from Mexico, a rising star in the dance world. Local offerings include B/olero, a new duet by Ohad Naharin that is one of four pieces in Batsheva Dance's Project 5, Don Quixote by the Israel Ballet with soloists from the Bolshoi, Rami Beer's 60 Hz, danced by the Kibbutz Dance Company, Israel, a solo by Sharon Eyal for Talia Paz and various Pink/Green pieces from the Tmuna Theater's recent Intima Dance Festival. Tel Aviv Dance takes place at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, Suzanne Dellal, Tmuna and Inbal (at Suzanne Dellal) - and the Argentineans will inaugurate Beersheba's brand new cultural center. Ticket prices run from NIS 65 (Tmuna) to NIS 300 (TAPAC).