Video: An excerpt from Airfield, Liat Dror and Nir Ben-Gal’s latest creation
Nir Ben-Gal and Liat Dror first burst onto the stage with Two Room Apartment in 1987, and they continued to create a stir with their choreography throughout the 1990s. But when I got to Tel Aviv last year, the couple was nowhere to be found.
It’s not that Nir and Liat disappeared from the country’s dance scene. They just carved out a non-traditional space for themselves in Mizpe Ramon, a small desert town a few hours southeast from Tel Aviv. There, in a place they call Adama (“earth”), they live, teach, and create.
Occasionally the pair still brings their company to Tel Aviv for performances. After months of hearing a bit about Nir and Liat, I finally got to see their Prince Charming in November 2007 at Tmuna Theater. But to find out more about Adama, I decided to venture into the desert for a visit in January 2008. And then again in April 2008. And, well, again in June 2008.
I first wrote the article below for The Winger after my second stay at Adama.
Photo: At Adama’s Shavuot festival in 2008, dancers gathered around for an aerial dance workshop.
While some dancers and movers will gather at Vertigo Dance Company’s Eco-Art Village for the Hagiga festival during Shavuot, others will journey into the Negev desert for a different event: Adama’s Hagiga Levana (White Festival or White Celebration).
Adama is a unique dance center run by choreographers Nir Ben-Gal and Liat Dror (more on them and the center soon, I promise!). Last year, their Shavuot festival was called Dance in the Desert and was a collaboration with the Amuta or Choreographers Society. I attended the festival and made a photo journal called “Dance in the Desert” for The Winger; you can check it out below.
This year’s Hagiga Levana will be a smaller and more intimate festival than Dance in the Desert, but it should be no less warm and celebratory. Attendees can participate in workshops as well as find time for themselves to reflect in the peace of the desert. They’ll also enjoy a performance of the Adama company’s latest work. You can visit Adama’s website for more information on this Shavuot event, which will run from May 28-30.
