The Journey
Nowadays, and perhaps in future days to come, I am primarily referred to as the Founder and Artistic Director of Peridance Center, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company in New York. True, in 1983 (40 years prior to putting these words to paper, and 33 years into my life) I fulfilled a big dream: establishing my own dance school and dance company.
Professionally speaking, I like to refer to myself as a Dancer, Educator, Choreographer and Director (in that order, not of importance but of evolution). For me these were never tasks I set myself up to fulfill but rather a neatly intertwined universe of evolving challenges. While my interest lies mainly in Dance as my chosen instrument of artistic expression, I am equally drawn to Music, Painting, Theater and, on the other side of the spectrum, utilizing the logical side of the brain, Science and Computer Programming. I have always been fascinated with Languages and how they reflect cultural difference. I have immersed myself in the study and exploration of all these areas of interest and enjoy finding moments and situations where they intersect to create the bigger picture.
I was born in 1950 in Tiberias Israel, a small town in the north of a not much bigger country. Growing up in this somewhat isolated environment did not connect nor expose me to “The Exterior Lands”, or what I refer to as “The Big World”. It also manifested itself in often feeling “not quite up there” or “having a huge bridge to cross”. It seemed like most of my schoolmates and friends were oblivious to that reality. They were comfortable and satisfied, but I was not. I knew at a very early age that I had to venture out and to tackle the unknown. It was a calling! I began by finding outlets for my fledgling artistic drive. For example, I created a silhouette puppet show which I presented to kinds in the block (I charged a penny – it had to be professional in all aspects!), and I taught my younger cousin a dance which I “choreographed” and had her perform.
Thinking about my physical traits as a young adult, I can clearly say that being a dancer would not have been my first and most sensible choice. I was not flexible, did not have “good feet” (feet which could pointe well for good classical lines) and was quite skinny and feeble. But I did possess other gifts which in time would prove to be more important, namely talent, musicality, visual memory, and most importantly the desire and – in the words of my mentor John Butler – the appetite to dance.
I embarked on becoming a dancer at a fairly young age, perhaps 7 or 8. My teacher was this typical looking ballet figure, skinny, hair pulled back neatly, a somewhat sever expression and a heavy foreign accent. She visited our town, Tiberias, twice a week. I joined her course (to the clear disapproval of my male school mates) only to find out that my body was screaming “NO”. The whole experience lasted just a few short months. I left. Maybe my schoolmates had a point! I was never going to fulfill my dream! I pursued studying Piano.
But the dream lingered! When I was in 7th grade, a much better opportunity presented itself in the form of a “Youth Dance Ensemble” which was formed as part of the cultural department of my city, to perform Israeli Folk Dance. I joined with other school mates. I loved it! I was a natural! And I did not have to stretch my feet! A wonderful teacher (an alumnus of Yontan Karmon’s Grand Musical of Israel) came to Tiberias (also twice a week), to teach us and to create the dances. He was always accompanied by a fellow artist, who would play the music on his accordion (typical for Israeli folk dancing). For 2 to 3 hours each session we did not stop dancing, hopping, running, and often singing. It was the highlight of my after-school activities until the end of high school.
Having this experience under my belt, I auditioned for Bat Dor Dance Company, but was initially not accepted. I realized right then that dancing Folk Dance did not in effect prepare me to the demands of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. But I did not despair, I auditioned and was accepted to dance with the master himself, Yonatan Karmon. (There is more to this story here). I was 16 when, with Karmon’s The Grand Music Hall of Israel, I toured the east coast of the U.S. for three months, followed by a month tour to South Africa. This experience not only shaped me as a young artist, but also provided me with the opportunity to pursue dance as a profession. I was guided by a fellow dancer in the company, Ruth Gelman who, upon our return to Israel, helped me join the school of Bat Dor, (There is more to this story here).
I have been training at Bat Dor for merely a month when I was invited by the artistic director, Jeannette Ordman, to join the company. I did. I found myself working with seasoned dancers and world-renowned choreographers, quite a colossal challenge, especially since I still had to catch up with basic training – my feet were not pointing yet… My skinny body struggled with having to tackle lifting and supporting other dancers. But my mom was right – distinct muscle tissue was clearly and quickly forming around my bones.
I danced with Bat Dor for 9 years, with a one-year break to dance in Holland (There is more to this story here). I am so thankful for that time and for the opportunity to have learned and experienced so much. I regard my time with the company as a journey through 3 main periods: The Army time, The Dancing / Transition time, and the Remote time.
The Army time – During my first 3.5 years I had to split my time between the company and my Army service. This was a huge challenge, part of which were the very long hours, starting at 6am with the military morning ritual, fulfilling my military duties until around 4pm, going to class and rehearsals early evening, and ending often as late as 9pm. It was also so hard because I had to deal with some pushback from company dancers who resented working late to accommodate my hours – they had a point, though it was not up to me, really. I was quite torn! But in time, having improved quite a bit, and having proven myself as a likable colleague and friend I was fully accepted into the social circles of the company and in fact made some of my best friends-forever!
The Dancing / Transition Time – I was finally released from the army. I felt so free and energized. I could grow my hair and no longer was required to have a clean-shaven face. But most importantly I could dedicate my entire being to dance. I remember well how I cherished taking the morning class (instead of training in late evening hours) and how every moment of dancing was so rewarding. By now I was also getting to portray more important roles and often partnered the company’s artistic director, Jeannette, or other principal dancers. Throughout this period, I met some of the most important teachers and choreographers who would greatly contribute to my development as an artist. Notable and most influential were the teachers Inesse Alexandrov, Benjamin Harkarvy and Richard Gibson, and the choreographers Alvin Ailey, John Butler, Rudi Van Dantzig, Paul Sanasardo, and Lar Lubovitch. Returning from a year in Holland (more here) I started shifting my focus to teaching, directing, and choreographing. My experience in Holland, which involved for the first time the roles of teacher and rehearsal director, was a catalyst as I got to know how much I enjoyed working with and helping other dancers. I started teaching at the Bat Dor school and was assigned the role of Rehearsal Director with the company. Now working with choreographers as an assistant gave me a chance to learn their works and their different methods on a much larger scale. I was still dancing quite a lot but clearly started shifting my priorities to directing and teaching. It was quite natural for me to then find myself choreographing as well. I was invited to choreograph for both the school and the company, marking the first time a Bat Dor company dancer has been given this opportunity. And this was the start of the rest of my life…
Well into my 9th year at Bat Dor it became clear to me that the time was ripe to explore new opportunities and to venture onto the ‘Big World’. My destination was the United States! Upon arriving in New York, and with the help of my mentor John Butler, I joined a newly formed company, Dennis Wayne’s Dancers, as ballet master and choreographer (more here). During that period, I continued to develop as a choreographer and premiered my first American creation ‘Nocturnes’ at the Roundabout Theater in New York. I was also continued assisting John Butler and staged his works for Dennis Wayne’s Dancers, Bat Dor, the NYC Opera, the Opera of Munich, Caracas Ballet, and Teatro alla Scala in Milan. At La Scala I also staged Krzysztof Penderecki’s opera Paradise Lost, which I first directed at the Lyric Opera in Chicago (more here).
My first full-evening presentation, Chromatic Motions, which I created to original compositions by alumni of Manhattan School of Music, debuted in May 1978 (more here). I then continued working as a freelance teacher and choreographer and traveled extensively in Europe, Israel, South America, and the Far East. In 1981/82, I headed the ballet department at Jacob’s Pillow, an experience which strongly exposed me to a very important chapter in the legacy of Dance in America.
And finally, in 1983 the most extensive chapter in my artistic life has begun with the opportunity to establish my own dance school (more here) and company (more here). I established Peridance Center, now one of New York City’s leading dance institutions, and as an integral part of the Center founded Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, for which I choreographed over 70 works, with performances at BAM, The Joyce Theater, City Center, and Peridance’s own KnJ Theater, and tours in the continental U.S., Alaska, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Israel
As part of my affiliations with schools and dance companies nationally, I have served as guest faculty / choreographer at Jacob’s Pillow, The Ailey School and Ailey II company, Marymount Manhattan College and Juilliard, where I staged my ballets Intimate Voices and Mourning Song. My international guest teaching engagements include, Scapino Ballet and Het National Ballet (Holland), Laterna Magica and the National Ballet (Prague), Architanz (Tokyo), The Royal Ballet of Sweden and Balletakademien (Sweden), and the National Ballet of China. My choreography
Through the years I had the privilege of having my works set on and performed by prestigious companies and festivals including Maggio Musiacale Fiorentino, Florence Dance Festival and Invito Alla Danza (Italy), Tel Aviv Dance and Karmiel Dance Festival (Israel), Ailey II, Milwaukee Ballet, San Jose Ballet, Alaska Dance Theater and Complexions Contemporary Ballet (USA), Companhia de Danca de Lisboa (Portugal), Alberta Ballet (Canada), Kwang-Ju City Ballet Company (South Korea), The National Taiwan University of Art (Taiwan) and Batsheva and Bat Dor dance companies (Israel).
In 2007, I was inducted into the Dance Library of Israel Hall of Fame. I am appreciative of this honor, especially with it connecting me back to my birth country, Israel.
