Turning over a new leaf at the Suzanne Dellal Center
During a recent press conference at the Suzanne Dellal Center, choreographer Inbal Pinto recalled her first time at the location.
“It was a construction site,” she said to a group of reporters and artists sitting in Yerushalmi Hall. “I was curious what was going on inside so I came to check it out. There was sand everywhere and building materials. The only thing that was here was a stage, amidst all the rubble. I got up on the stage and started to dance.”
Pinto went on to recall that, in that moment, her future in dance was laid out before her. Of course, she had no idea that she would come to call the center home, that she would be a company member in the most successful Israeli troupe of all time or that she would come to run her own thriving company amidst the pomelo trees and lapping in-ground fountains dotting the courtyard of Suzanne Dellal.
At that time, more than 30 years ago, Yair Vardi, a retired dancer recently returned from over a decade in England, was the newly appointed director of the then-in-process center. For the coming decades, Vardi was the be-all and end-all of the center – designing its programs, directing the in-house festivals and overseeing original productions. His retirement, which came in 2019, marked the end of an era, the only era that the Suzanne Dellal Center had ever known.
Moments before corona arrived in Israel, Naomi Perlov and Anat Fischer-Leventon were charged with taking over the reins of SDC. And
then, just as they were getting started, the center was closed, putting all of the new directors’ plans on indefinite hold.
Now, with theaters reopened and restrictions lifted, Perlov and Leventon are finally posed to roll out the 2021 season, albeit in mid-season.
Seated on the stage of Yerushalmi Hall, the two presented what’s in store for Suzanne Dellal in the coming month.
AMONG THE most impressive changes put in place is the Pro-Morning Series, which invites professional dancers to the center for heavily subsidized
morning classes. Whereas a dance class anywhere else costs around NIS 60, classes at Suzanne Dellal cost only NIS 25 and are taught by leading teachers chosen by a committee of dancers. This may seem like a small initiative but, for dancers, it is a groundbreaking and deeply significant update.
“It’s so important for dancers to train and it’s wonderful to see them here. It expands our community of artists and provides them with a much-needed service,” explained Perlov.
Another major element in this season is the 1-2-3 Program, a new competitive platform
for young choreographers.
“In the first stage of this program, we asked choreographers to send a one-minute video, like an Instagram story, of their choreography. We received 120 applications. From those, we invited 53 to present to a panel of judges and finally we chose 10 artists,” she said.
These choreographers were charged with creating a solo no longer than five minutes in duration and were accompanied by Perlov as well as Yael Venezia. Of these 10 choreographers, six will be chosen to progress to the second stage, creating a duet. In the last round, three artists will go on to make trios. As the 1-2-3 Program functions as a competition, the winners will receive enticing prizes such as the chance to create a new work for the students of the Maslool Professional Training Program and residencies abroad. Three of these artists, Inbar Buchbinder, Naya Binghi and Lalel Filiora presented their solos during the press conference. If their works are any indication, the upcoming performance of 1-2-3 is the must-see show of the summer.
In August, the center will host the annual Tel Aviv
Dance Festival. This year’s roster places special emphasis on young audiences with new productions for the whole family by Andrea Costanzo Martini, Renana Raz and Rachel Erdos. Inbal Dance Theater will also premiere a new work by Emmanuel Gat during the festival. Gat recalled his beginnings both as a dancer and as a choreographer at Suzanne Dellal.
“My story is interwoven with this place,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Inbal Pinto, who will premiere a new duet in the fall. The piece is being produced by the center and will feature dancers Moran Muller and Itamar Serussi Sahar.
“I have a historic connection with this place and it is wonderful to come back, like turning over a new leaf,” said Pinto.
From the looks of it, Perlov and Leventon are dedicated to using their position to better the lives of dancers and dance artists in Israel, deepening the community’s connections and fostering the voices of the future. If so, it seems many artists going forward will benefit from the new era of Suzanne Dellal leadership.