Video: The Project in Emanuel Gat’s Through the Center
Although repertory companies once dominated the Israeli modern dance scene, troupes showcasing work by one or two contemporary choreographers have reigned supreme from the 1990s onwards. But repertory is returning to the Israeli concert stage with The Project, a cooperative venture by the Suzanne Dellal Centre and the Israeli Opera.
The Project. Photo by Eyal Landesman.
The Project benefits from an experienced creative team. Yair Vardi, director of Suzanne Dellal, and Hannah Munitz, general director of the Israeli Opera, are serving as artistic directors, and the manager is Mate Moray, a former soloist with the Israel Ballet who also directs the dance program in Matan. More than 260 dancers auditioned, and 13 were selected to participate in The Project.
For the last several months, the newly formed group trained together in ballet and learned three dances by choreographers based in Europe: Emanuel Gat’s Through the Center, Jacopo Godani’s Light Years, and Marco Goeke’s Supernova. Although the repertory draws on the clean lines and technical virtuosity of ballet, each work has a distinctive, contemporary feel. Audiences can enjoy the spread of dance when The Project debuts at the Opera House in Tel Aviv on November 30. A repeat performance will be held on December 10, also at the Opera House.