Aharona Israel | A Guide for Gymnasts
55-75 ₪
"Guide for the Gymnast" is a performance combining movement and words, exploring Israeli physical culture and episodes from the life of the legendary teacher Zvi Nishri. The performance is based on archival research and places the language of gymnastics in a contemporary choreographic context. The piece highlights gaps between past and present and reveals cultural baggage in the Israeli body.
"Guide for the Gymnast" is a performance combining movement and words, exploring Israeli physical culture and episodes from the life of the legendary teacher Zvi Nishri. The performance is based on archival research and places the language of gymnastics in a contemporary choreographic context. The piece highlights gaps between past and present and reveals cultural baggage in the Israeli body.
**For Details and Purchase**
The show "Guide for the Gymnast" dives into the roots of Israeli physical culture and traces the origins of physical education classes taught in Hebrew by the legendary teacher Tzvi Nishri at Herzliya Gymnasium in Tel Aviv. Based on meticulous archival research, the performance places the language of gymnastics within a contemporary choreographic context.
The work, accompanied by quotes from Nishri's original notes, offers an ironic reflection on the relationship between body language and verbal language, and the gap between past and present. The creation deconstructs the inherent tension in Israeli culture between the individual and the existing order while highlighting the friction between childhood and adulthood requirements. By examining themes of obedience and rebellion, the show reveals the "cultural baggage" present in the Israeli body from the inception of the state.
**From the Critics:**
- "An intelligent show embedded with a lot of humor" (Dr. Smadar Shefi / The Window)
- "A fascinating dance work that offers us an interesting perspective on Israeli society" (Aviva Rosen / Pleasant Stay)
- "A relevant contemporary creation, a multifaceted show combining history, art, and politics" (Nira Perry / Salona)
**Choreographer and Dancer:**
Aharona Israel has been an independent creator since 2003. Her work bridges dance and various mediums such as theater, performance, and visual art, combining movement and vocal work. Her creations are characterized by intimate physical research within socio-political contexts, referring to her personal history and that of the dancers she collaborates with. Alongside stage pieces, she creates for alternative spaces, galleries, and open spaces where she brings together her perspectives as a trained architect and choreographer. Her works touch on the tension between 'body – movement – and time' and explore performer-audience relationships and stage virtuosity while seeking various physical challenges.
She has been invited to present on different stages across Europe, North America, and Israel and at festivals and centers in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Italy, Russia, and Canada. As a dancer, she has worked with various choreographers including Emmanuel Grivet Dance Company (France), Sharona Floresheim (Israel), Ina Stockhem (Germany), Yumiko Yoshioka (Germany), Felix Ruckert Co. (Germany), Karl Frost (USA), Rob List (Netherlands), and Pauline de Groot (Netherlands). She graduated in architecture from Bezalel. She trained in dance at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and the EDDC School in the Netherlands. She lives and works in Tel Aviv, is married to Sharon, and is the mother of Lihi and Tali.
**Credits:**
- Choreography: Aharona Israel
- Performers: Or Sheshi, Gili Geva, Ofir Kunash, Aharona Israel
- Costumes: Melanie Lombard
- Music Composition, Musical Arrangement, and Vocal Guidance for the Final Song: Udi Raz
- Theatrical Language Coaching: Behat Kalchi
- Lighting Design: Lior Levin
- Rehearsals Management and Production: Hani Ben Tov
- Graphic Design: Yael Finkelstein-Shamhai
- Table Renovation: Sharon Cherniak
- Photography: Alma Gevaoni
The work was created with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the 'Beit Ha'ir' Museum, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, and the Choreographers Association. The work was hosted for an artist residency at the Gra Community Center and Neve Schechter Center in Tel Aviv.
