By ORA BRAFMANCOMPAÑÍA SHARON FRIDMAN performs in Tel Aviv(photo credit: JUAN DAVID CORTÉS)
Although choreographer Sharon Fridman has been based in Madrid for years, his ties with Israeli artists seem to get stronger with time. He already cooperated with Vertigo and choreographed a vibrant piece for them and collaborated with others.Fridman presented two duets at Suzanne Dellal’s International Season; “Hasta Donde…?” (How Far) from 2011, and “Dose of Paradise” (a world premiere). Both are rooted in the contact improvisation genre, yet demonstrated once again, that technique is but a tool, not the artistic core of any art work.The revised materials of “Hasta Donde…?” are taken from an earlier full evening piece by the same name, danced originally by the powerful Fridman himself and a younger, fearless partner who could almost fly – Arthur Bernard. Both leave you breathless at the end.Taking their place were dancers Eyal Vaizer and Tomer Navot from our own Vertigo dance company. Both are strong dancers and within the allotted time (approx.15 minutes) exhausted the demanding physically and the delicate interchanging of the center of power. The piece was accompanied by original live music of Idan Shimoni and Ofer Navot, fortified by world music components.Both musicians also wrote the music for “Dose of Paradise,” the second piece of the evening. Seeing several creations by Fridman before, still nothing could prepare me for this female duet which took him further on his quest for his original, true voice. It was a fascinating encounter between two dancers that, for the most part, held hands and remained standing on less than one square meter. It was a true “contact” piece, yet it redefined the border of that genre.Speaking of virtuosity, Melania Olcina and Maria de Duenas’s performance was just that. Virtuosic, though technique had little to do with it.Fridman devised an intricate set of small moves and gestures as a highly intense corporal dialogue which enabled the dancers to explore each other at first in a hesitant manner, but not for long. As the moves became more intricate, the rhythms and intensity grew with them, resembling an accelerating vortex of a storm, pushing them further, challenging their limits.In this particular piece, besides movement and sound, clever lighting design played a major role, particularly in the latter part. Fridman had already experimented in same light effects in a previous creation, “All Ways,” where he transformed the space into a dreamlike, out worldly landscapes where people disappear and comeback in the depth of a thick white cloud.It was certainly an impressive, captivating and enjoyable evening.
Related TagsSuzanne Dellal
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