Curtain Up 4: Tel Aviv Dance Company & Yaara Dolev Host Michael Miler
Yaara Dolev’s Blossom. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
Dance In Israel: Can you tell me about the relationship you and Amit Goldenberg have had with Curtain Up?
Yaara Dolev: The first work we did with Haramat Masach [Curtain Up] was a collaboration between us and plastic artists in 2001. It was in the space between the theater and the Batsheva offices. The whole place was covered with these mobile statues and we danced with [them], and it was a very nice project. In 2002, we did another piece for Haramat Masach. It was a very political piece; the name of it was Ivrim, about fascism . . . And in 2003, we did a piece called Machine. It was a whole evening. And that’s it. That was when we decided that we want to create outside of this festival, to be more independent when we create.
Yaara Dolev’s Blossom. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
YD: This 20 year [anniversary of] Haramat Masach is a great opportunity to come back to this and to do it in an independent way. It’s really unique and wonderful that they gave this option for the six creators to really do [the festival] without interference, without questioning, just to give this freedom to create.
Michael Miler’s Number 6. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
DII: What drew you to select Michael Miler to join you on the bill?
YD: Of course when we knew that had to select someone, we tried to see as much as possible . . . I think it’s a good collaboration because there’s something about his creation that is more [about] the pure, clean movement in space, and less [about] theater. And [there’s] something about it that we believe in . . .
Michael Miler’s Number 6. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
YD: I think Michael is very talented. I think he’s very interesting. He’s coming from math; in university, he studied engineering and mathematics. You can see it in his compositions, and it’s very interesting for me. I think it’s very clear what he wants, and you can see he’s very mature about his creation.
Yaara Dolev’s Blossom. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
DII: Can you tell me a little bit about the work that you’re premiering, Blossom? Where did it come from?
YD: Actually, it started by chance. I took a DVD from the Third Ear [a DVD store in Tel Aviv], and it was a Sean Penn movie, Into the Wild. It’s a wonderful film, and when I finished the film, immediately I knew what I want to do in this work. And what we’re doing now is pretty much the same vision that I had when I finished [seeing] this movie . . . it was the first pulse for me for the creation. Also, I thought because it’s the first creation I [am doing] without Amit, it’s really my blossom.
Yaara Dolev’s Blossom. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
YD: I was really with myself in this creation. I feel like I could really put my dream on the dancers onstage. There’s my truth there, so it feels good.
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For listings of Curtain Up performances, please visit the Dance In Israel Calendars page.
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- Behind the Scenes at Gvanim: Shades of Dance Festival
- Curtain Up 1: Nimrod Freed Hosts Anat Grigorio and Dafi Altebab
- Curtain Up 2: Vertigo Dance Company and Noa Wertheim Host Elad Shechter
- Curtain Up 3: Yasmeen Godder Hosts Iris Erez
- Curtain Up 5: Noa Dar Hosts Maya Brinner and Irad Mazliah
- Curtain Up 6: Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor Host Noa Shadur
5 comments
Ya’ara Dolev is a genius.