For the sixteenth year in a row, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport has produced "Curtains Up."
By ORIT ARFA
For the sixteenth year in a row, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport has produced "Curtains Up," an opportunity for independent choreographers to create and perform original dances without the hassle of producing the performances themselves.
This year, 13 performances will be divided among five curtain-calls Nov. 16 - Nov. 30 at the Suzanne Dellal Dance Center in Tel Aviv and The Lab (Hama'abada), a recently opened performance space in Jerusalem.
"We wanted to help artists who don't belong to any [official production] organization and therefore lack resources to produce a performance on their own," says Nili Cohen, director of the dance department at the ministry. "This frees the mostly young artists from logistical problems so they can concentrate on creativity."
Cohen notes that many important Israeli dancers have been discovered with the help of this project, including Inbal Pinto, Noa Dar, Anat Danieli, Yasmin Godar, Yossi Yungeman and the Vertigo company.
Nava Zuckerman, artistic director of the project, says that this kind of framework allows choreographers and dancers to work independently of established dance companies and encourages more individuality among dancers because they do not have to answer to the demands of a dance company or other producer. Contributors to the program work independently, but she says similarities have emerged even without collaboration between the artists. "Without guidance or advanced preparation, an artistic theme has developed among the works: intimacy, emotions and relationships," says Zuckerman, who also selected the participants.
For the first time, this year's performances will allow for meetings between the choreographers, dancers and audience. Additionally, as part of the "From Generation to Generation" initiative, art students will be able to watch the performances and speak with the artists. These performances are designed for the students and will not be open to the public.
Tickets for the shows cost NIS 70 to 85. Seventy percent of ticket proceeds go to choreographers.
For tickets and information about the Tel Aviv performances, call (03) 510-5656. For Jerusalem, call (02) 673-4116.