Dance Review: The Project

Second season opens with double bill including William Forsyth's Double/Single (2000).

By ORA BRAFMAN
dancing woman 311 (photo credit: Courtesy of Tami Weiss))
dancing woman 311
(photo credit: Courtesy of Tami Weiss))
The Project, a contemporary repertoire company, premiered its second season with a double bill that was a treat in many ways. It opened with Double/Single (2000) by William Forsyth, one of the more influential choreographers of our era. For the local dancers it was an opportunity to perform work by a major talent, which was the whole point in supporting The Project, initiated by the opera house and Suzanne Dellal dance center.
Two double beds on an empty stage may imply a most intimate arena, yet it can also be impersonal, as hotel bedrooms often are. During five short scenes, the room walls witness fast, ever-changing encounters.
This challenging piece is more typical of Forsyth’s work in the ’90s, before he shifted toward more conceptual performances and installations.
The 13-member group did a decent job, with Sharon Vazanna, Idan Sharabi and Ilan Kav standing out.
Vazanna is a terrific, gutsy dancer with finesse, wonderful timing and a clean, no-frills style. She uses her energies intelligently, a sign of experience.
The real surprise of the evening was actually the second work, Rak Tamid, choreographed by Idan Sharabi, a name to remember. Idan’s talent was evident in the way he managed the space, his own rich vocabulary, the movement phrasing, the inner rhythms, the unique energy and the way it welled up under the dancer’s skins. It also was well supported by very interesting and layered musical and voice arrangements.
Obviously, Idan has an eye for composition and visual values, and his artistic orientation deviates, for a change, from the path taken by many local dance makers.