Infinite innovation
Tom Dale’s contemporary dance company performs at the Fresh Paint festival
Every year, as the impending heat creeps into Tel Aviv, tens of thousands of visitors seek shelter inside museums, galleries, auction houses, theaters and performance spaces to enjoy the breadth of international and Israeli art in our very own backyard. Welcome to the Fresh Paint contemporary art fair.
This year, one such participating party hails from the UK: the Tom Dale Company.
Dale’s contemporary dance work, “I Infinite,” not only opens up the minds of audience members to the digitally charged dance world filled with electronic music and visual installations, he further opens their imaginations to the limitless creativity and innovation of Britain through a very special initiative called SHOW UK. These two platforms share one single vision: to strengthen bonds between Israel and the UK through artistry.
SHOW UK would not be possible without the support of both the British Council and the Clore Israel Foundation, who share a fundamental goal of “creating positive, sustainable change in communities across Israel – and in doing so strengthening the bonds between the UK and Israel.” According to Yeala Hazut Yanuka, the British Council’s Head of Arts in Israel, the Tom Dale Company was approached by the British Council on the basis of their “stand-out innovation – which seemed like a good fit for our mission of showcasing British creativity at the launch-pad event of Fresh Paint.”
WHAT MAKES Dale’s piece so innovative? First of all, its premise. Dale was inspired by artificial intelligence and the way in which the digital world moves on “an ever-increasing fast trajectory toward likelife manifestations.”
To bring his vision to life, he sought inspiration in Bjork/Chris Cunningham’s video, “All is Full of Love” and Wayne Mcgregor’s “Cyborg,” which zoom in on this strange metamorphosis from robot to human. Dale flipped this image on its head to create “I Infinite,” which explores in depth what a robot might need in order to understand the movements of a human being.
The seeds of “I Infinite” were planted in a movement study, whereby a character moved without actually understanding the principals of gravity, how to fall, or move in a fluid manner. From there, Dale slowly built his movement language and technique, launching the work into a great period of growth. The final product will be presented at the Tel Aviv Convention Center April 26 to 30, featuring young dancers Jemima Brown and Maja Furnes.
One visually captivating element that sets Dale’s work apart is his use of digital art and music, compliments of Barret Hodgson. Dale’s vision when conceiving I Infinite’s aesthetic installation was to create a space “for his characters to inhabit so that they can embark on their journey toward lifelike qualities or ‘the infinite,’ and we, as the audience, are invited to witness [those] explorations” and eventually become a part of them.
For this performance, the British choreographer traded in traditional theater seating for a much freer, less constricting arrangement. “I Infinite” allows the audience the freedom to stand, sit and roam about as they please.
“The audience needs to be free in this piece because certain parts need to be viewed from certain perspectives and other parts from others, so a mobile audience solves this,” Dale says.
Hazut Yanuka – like every active member of the SHOW UK initiative – is enthusiastic about Dale’s offering.
“We’re optimistic that it will highlight the lesser-known side of the UK – that of our blooming creative arts’ sector, rich in innovation and diversity. We hope to get people not just excited about British arts on the one hand, but to also feel included in our program, encouraged by our shared love of everything innovative… and invited to experience more.”
As the Head of Arts at the British Council in Israel, Hazut Yanuka is thoroughly acquainted with the contemporary dance scene in Tel Aviv and across the country.
“Israel (and Tel Aviv in particular) is a hotbed for emerging trends and is known worldwide for its innovative high quality dance companies,” she explains.
AS ONE cannot speak of dance in Tel Aviv without alluding to Ohad Naharin’s brilliantly unique Gaga dance style, Hazut Yanuka notes that the British Council and the Clore Israel Foundation are on friendly terms with the Batsheva Dance Company. An introductory meeting has even been arranged between the two companies (Batsheva and Tom Dale) during their visit.
“This is all about laying a foundation for long-term relationships between our art communities and sowing the seeds for future collaboration,” Hazut Yanuka shares.
In addition to meeting the famed Batsheva Company, the Tom Dale Company recently spent a weekend at an artist residency together with the Vertigo Dance Company at their Eco Village. This collaboration was aimed at strengthening the bonds between companies and encouraging peer learning and knowledge exchange.
“One of the core goals of the SHOW UK program is to initiate encounters and meetings with the local diverse art scene and stakeholders and to hold master classes for diverse communities.”
For now though, Hazut Yanuka is most eager for Israeli audiences to “experience the magic of “I Infinite” – to be inspired by its creativity and innovation, to feel motivated to further explore the contemporary arts scene in the UK, and ultimately, to look for opportunities for future engagement with SHOW UK.” Dale sums up his wishes more concisely. “If there were one thing I could wish the audience to come away with, it would be a sense of wonder.”
Besides SHOW UK’s inaugural program at the Tel Aviv Convention Center April 26 to 30 as a part of the Fresh Paint contemporary arts festival, keep an eye out for SHOW UK’s next performance at the Sixth International Fringe Festival in Beersheba this July.
For more information about SHOW UK: britishcouncil.org.il
For more information about the Tom Dale Company: tomdale.org.uk