The Between Heaven and Earth festival begins next week
By ORI J. LENKINSKI(photo credit: TAMI WEISS)
There is so much that is passed on from parents to children.Some of it is physical, such as eye color, hair, height, build, while some is less tangible, such as knowledge, ideals, culture. And while we can track traits and trends through lineage, there is so much that is transferred through families that cannot be traced, that is felt deep inside each individual but is impossible to describe or quantify. In its eighth year, the Jerusalem-based festival Between Heaven and Earth has chosen to focus on all of this passing on in eight days of contemporary dance.The festival and organizing body of Between Heaven and Earth were founded by choreographer Ronen Izhaki to provide a platform for artists and topics that were not presented in other forums. A religious man, Izhaki wanted to bring together two major streams of his life – spirituality and dance.Since its inception, Between Heaven and Earth has asked artists to take a moment to consider the impact and influence of their spiritual beliefs on their artistic practice. This year, this includes the ways in which family comes into that picture.About the choice of topic, Izhaki says, “When knowledge is transferred from generation to generation, it is strengthened and preserved; however, at the same time, it is changed to fit evolving needs of the generation receiving it. Intergenerational transfer functions differently in various community structures, some of which view the previous generation as an authority and others see the new generation as the answer and solution.”In preparation for the festival, Izhaki and his team visited with dozens of artists who shared their personal stories of family, knowledge and inheritance.On Thursday, the festival will open with a performance in which Izhaki’s Ka’et Ensemble will host artists from different fields in a one-time collaboration. The event will consist of dance, text, music and singing.As part of the festival program, Between Heaven and Earth will host several Israeli premieres. Shira Eviatar will present Eviatar/Said, which explores the connection between traditional Yemenite dance and the physicality of current immigrants. Yasmeen Godder will reveal a new solo performed by Francesca Foscarini titled Gut Gift. Orly Portal and her company will present Farid Al-Atrash’s Rite of Spring. Moran Zilberberg will unveil a personal and touching solo Be.leave. Maya Reshef will show a duet performed by mother and daughter.Other artists to present during the festival include Ronen Izhaki and yours truly (Ori Lenkinski). In addition, the festival will host several workshops and master classes.Between Heaven and Earth will take place November 2 to 9 in Jerusalem. For more information, visit www.docdance.com.
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