Dance Review: Ship of Fools

The performance tells story of fool’s paradise, where people live the moment frivolously, selfishly, oblivious to reality and others.

By ORA BRAFMAN
Gadi Dagon 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Gadi Dagon 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Choreographers Niv Shenfeld and Oren Laor invited three well picked guests: Sasha Angel, Anat Gregorio and Uri Shafir, all with captivating and unique presence.
The name Ship of Fools alludes to the medieval story first captured on canvas by Hieronymus Bosch more than 500 years ago and often used allegorically in various forms since then. It pertains to fool’s paradise, where people live the moment frivolously, selfishly, oblivious to reality and others.
The dance’s opening scene takes time to establish the stage’s character of each dancer as they step forward and back, trying to impress the spectators with physical attributes and charm.
Chosen cleverly, each one is very different from the other. Sasha Angel (39) is very physical, muscular individual, who obviously is versed in various fighting techniques while Anat Gregorio (37) comes off as strong predatory lady with flirtatious gestures, assured of her beauty and charm. Her numerous bold tattoos give her an Amazonian air of no nonsensical attitude.
A more complex character is played by Uri Shafir (28) with his adolescent thin and lithe frame. His movement vocabulary is more complex, with an impact of his training as a Batsheva dancer in past years, tinted with empathy for Yasmeen Godder’s style of male roles in her works.
Ship of Fools contains some hilarious scenes, among the more memorable moments we must include the amusing trio where the two men carried Anat all over the space according to her instructions; spreading her legs, turning or lifting her, and definitely the moment when Uri taught the audience a song or staged his premature deathbed eulogy.
Overall, Ship of Fools is a strong and well stratified piece by the talented Shenfeld and Laor.