Taking Shape

‘Out of the Circle’ at the Israel Museum looks back at the major milestones in local dance styles.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor, ‘Two-Room Apartment, 2012. (photo credit: GADI DAGON)
Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor, ‘Two-Room Apartment, 2012.
(photo credit: GADI DAGON)
At some point in nearly every modern dance piece, a performer will run around the stage in a circle. Perhaps this is because the stage presents limited space, so in order to continuously run, one has to conform to an “O” shape. Talia Amar, however, would argue that it is because the circle is of extraordinary importance to dance. Amar is the curator of “Out of the Circle: The Art of Dance in Israel,” an exhibition that will open at the Israel Museum next week.
“The exhibition doesn’t cover the entire history of dance in Israel, but it deals with the circle and the exit from it,” explains Amar.
“Out of the Circle” is part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Suzanne Dellal Center. To make this massive endeavor possible, the dance center partnered with the Israel Museum to take a look back at the major milestones in the unique development of local dance style and community.
The title of the exhibition reads very differently in Hebrew. Ad Asher Nimtza Makom, which “until we find space,” is a lyric from the children’s song “Ooga Ooga” in which children hold hands and dance in a circle. This simple choreography is one of the first that young Israelis learn. In Amar’s eyes, much can be seen from the entry and exit into the circle.
“The circle is a perfect geometric shape. It is also a layer of movement in dance that represents the group versus the individual. The source of Israeli dance comes from the spontaneous dance of the pioneers both before and after the establishment of the State of Israel,” says Amar.
“Folk dances, or hora, developed as a ritual associated with the holidays in the kibbutzim. Then stage dance developed, but its roots are in folk dance and in the development parallel to the rituals surrounding holidays and agricultural celebrations. We call the exhibition ‘Out of the Circle’ in English because over the years, with the changes that took place in the Israeli society, the circle came apart. People left in order to find their individual voices and identities.”
For the past several months, Amar has been in contact with choreographers, companies, private collectors and photographers in an effort to find documentation of dance from the early days of the country. One breakthrough came when she discovered the Presler Private Museum, where many of photographer Alfons Himmelreich’s works were preserved.
“It was amazing to discover things I didn’t know existed. Himmelreich’s work was new to me. He photographed the newness and excitement of dance in Israel in the 1930s,” says Amar. Himmelreich’s images feature the women of the Gertrud Kraus Company posed in dramatic vignettes. Kraus was one of the leaders of the German Expressionist Dance style in Israel.
“People came from Europe where they had learned Expressionist Dance, the trend that was popular in Europe between the two world wars,” Amar explains.
From Expressionist Dance, Israel quickly progressed to styles imported from farther afield. The exhibition features several photographs from the early days of the Inbal Theater, which was founded by Sara Levi-Tanai in 1949. Focusing on ethnic dance from Yemen, Levi-Tanai’s troupe marked a major milestone – the incorporation of Eastern influences on Israeli dance.
“Martha Graham came to Israel in 1965 and, with the support of Batsheva de Rothschild, founded the Batsheva Dance Company,” says Amar. “That was a major turning point, as Batsheva was the first big company with financial support. At that moment, dance became professional. Because Martha Graham was a consultant, American dance came into the mix. There was a departure from dance that was about agriculture, Israeliness, socialism and building the country. It was a departure from the group and national themes to the individual. People started to create dance about personal issues.”
In the 1990s, Israeli dance experienced yet another major change. The return of Ohad Naharin from New York brought an immeasurable impact, one that continues to be felt to this day. Images from Naharin’s iconic Ehad Mi Yodea from the 1990 work Kyr hang boldly on the museum wall.
Having taken several giant leaps away from nationalistic dance, Israeli choreographers slowly returned to the topic.
“In the last several years, there is a return to nationalistic topics, from a different point of view. It isn’t the excitement of building the country. It’s a point of view from inside looking at the country, it is ironic and critical,” explains Amar.
She cites several current artists, such as Yasmeen Godder and Renana Raz, who have broached the theme.
And in all the pieces, from nationalistic, socialist romps to individual explorations and back to political dance, one theme remains constant.
“The motif of the circle exists as a symbol in all these pieces,” says Amar.
Though she does not claim to be able to predict the future, Amar has added several contemporary works that she considers to be modern milestones into the mix. Recent works include Niv Schenfeld and Oren Laor’s restaging of Liat Dror and Nir Ben Gal’s Two- Room Apartment; Godder’s Strawberry Cream and Gunpowder; and Inbal Pinto’s Oyster.
“There were so many creations to choose from. But at the end of the day, I had to make decisions because there is only so much wall space in the museum. I did my best to create a sequence that is clear and interesting,” says Amar.
'Out of the Circle’ will open on December 2 at the Israel Museum and will run through the end of February. For more information, visit www.imj.org.il