Noa Dar’s Us. Photo by Tamar Lamm.
Dance In Israel: What is your relationship to Curtain Up?
Noa Dar: I choreographed for Curtain Up from 1996-2000, 5 years in a row. And then I was a guest artist in 2001 and again in 2004 . . . It was very important thing for me, this Curtain Up. It really was my school or my initiation program for my choreography, so I found this project very important. And I think it’s very that good this time the choreographers have a chance to express their own artistic choices and also to guide young choreographers. I’m excited about this opening of the establishment to the ideas of independent choreographers. This is important.
Maya Brinner’s Red Ladies. Photo by Tamar Lamm.
DII: What drew you to invite Maya Brinner and Irad Mazliah?
ND: These are dancers of mine. Maya is dancing with me since 2000, already nine years. And Irad is dancing with me for the last three years. I found both of them to be very creative, very interesting in their research. Both are also involved in other mediums of art; Irad came from visual art and Maya from film. We had some mutual understanding, because for years we are working together. I’m very happy to give them this opportunity.
Irad Mazliah’s Unter den linden. Photo by Tamar Lamm.
DII: Are there any links between the three works in Curtain 5?
ND: We had a lot of mutual talks and plans and trying to research what we have in common in order to build not a program of three different dances but to have an evening which has as many connections of possible . . . the three of us [are] looking at differences versus conformity, and stillness or stuck positions versus mobility and change. And each one deals completely differently [with these ideas]. So there are different tones on a common basis in these three pieces.
Maya Brinner’s Red Ladies Photo by Tamar Lamm.
ND: Maya is working with three female dancers who are [like] workers in a factory. They’re all the same, and in this sameness they’re looking for their individuality and the way they can be unique in this competitive world.
Irad Mazliah’s Unter den linden. Photo by Tamar Lamm.
ND: Irad is coming from a different place. He took three people who are very different, but he put all three of them in one world, with very distinct rules of its own.
Noa Dar’s Us. Photo by Tamar Lamm.
ND: My work is again three dancers that deals more with the Israeli common experiences that create the uniformity of the way of thinking, the way of acting, and the negative attitude towards difference. I came [to this work] with very strong experiences that I’m having in the last few years as a mother and also as a citizen.
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For listings of Curtain Up performances, please visit the Dance In Israel Calendars page.
Related Articles on Dance In Israel
- Noa Dar Discusses Her Dance Career (Podcast)
- Noa Dar’s Tetris: Shaping the Space
- Israeli Dance: What’s Happening in November
- What is Israeli Dance? Two Festivals Hold Some Clues
- Curtain Up 2009: Celebrating 20 Years of Israeli Premieres
- 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 4: Tel Aviv Dance Company & Yaara Dolev Host Michael Miler
- Curtain Up 6: Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor Host Noa Shadur