The 2013-2014 Dance Season at the Israeli Opera promises some riveting performances bringing immensely exciting creative artists such as Shen Wei Dance Arts and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet to Israel. In harmony with the classical tone of this year’s offerings at the opera, Swan Lake is a recurring motif within the season, yet Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly beautiful score will manifest itself in diverse ways in three different productions: Matthew Bourne’s gender-bending ballet, The Imperial Ice Stars will perform Swan Lake on ice, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo will render their unique version of Swan Lake Act II.
The Imperial Ice Stars
Opening the season will be a first for the Israeli Opera as The Imperial Ice Stars perform Swan Lake gliding on the ice as the stage of the opera is transformed. Performances will take place from September 17 – 21, 2013.
Shen Wei Dance Arts
Yet another stirring contemporary classic will be transformed as Shen Wei Dance Arts performs The Rite of Spring (2003). Igor Stravinsky’s music will be presented in the four-hand piano version recorded by Fazil Say. Shen Wei, whose RE Parts I, II, and III, inspired by the choreographer’s travels through Tibet, Angor Wat, and China, was the opening performance of the 2010 Israel Festival, creates works that are “more than a dance… a vision and experience that leaves a lasting imprint on the mind and imagination.(read the full review here) ” The second part of the evening will be Near the Terrace, choreographed by Shen Wei in 2000, with music by Arvo Pärt. It’s a wonderful opportunity to become better acquainted with a fascinating choreographer and his deep exploration of movement. Performances will take place from September 25 – 28, 2013.
Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo
The Trocks – Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo – are far more than graceful guys who dance in frocks. Seeing them perform at the Israeli Opera in 2011 was “not only a delight, but a revelation. I thought I had a fairly good idea of what to expect: an all-male company performing a parody of ballet, en travesti, that is, with the men performing all the female roles. I thought it would be a lark, a fun evening of dance punctuated with laughter, I did not imagine that I would be so moved and exhilarated by the joyous brilliance of their performance.(read the full review here)” Performances will take place from October 23 – 26, 2013.
Alonzo King Lines Ballet Dance
Performing at the Israeli Opera for the first time will be the Alonzo King Lines Ballet Dance from San Francisco . The company will perform Scheherazade (2009), a contemporary reflection on the transformative power of stories, inspired by 1,001 Nights. The dance is performed to a new score, composed by tabla master Zakir Hussain, after Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, incorporating traditional Persian instruments. Resin (2011) is an exploration of Sephardic music – Arabic and Turkish sources, as well as music of Sephardic Jews from Italy and the Balkans. Performances will take place from November 13 – 16, 2013.
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet put their thrilling imprint on the works of the most exciting contemporary choreographers, creating an unforgettable performance. Their performances at the Israeli Opera will include Necessity Again by Jo Stromgren, Tuplet by Alexander Ekman and Violet Kid by Hofesh Schechter. Performances will take place from November 20 – 23, 2013.
Pilobolus
There are no dance companies like Pilobolus, with their distinctive imagery and physical abilities. Constructing fantastic visions onstage with their bodies, their performances have the fascination of a conjuror’s trick, yet even more amazing because it is all real. Pilobolus will be performing Shadowland at the Israeli Opera. Performances will take place from December 25 – 28, 2013.
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal will present the duet Zero In On, choreographed by Cayetano Soto, Night Box, a new work choreographed by Wen Wei Wang, inspired by the bright lights and insistent rhythms of urban life, and Harry, a new work created for the company by Israeli-American choreographer Barak Marshall inspired by the existential internal conflicts experienced by all. Performances will take place from February 2 – 5, 2014.
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake
Known for its all-male corps de ballet, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is far more than a gender-bending version of Swan Lake, as he re-envisions the classic ballet, imbuing it with a contemporary sensibility. Performances will take place from June 4 – 10, 2014.
Ballet de Lorraine
Ballet de Lorraine will present works from two central choreographers of Modern Dance: Merce Cunningham’s Sounddance, with music by David Tudor, and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room with music by Philip Glass. Performances will take place from July 16 – 19, 2014.
The Israeli Opera, 19 Shaul Hamelech Blvd. Tel Aviv, 03-6927777. The Israeli Opera website.
