Back Re-Sensitization

Ori J. Lenkinski
12.06.2008

The thing that sets Israeli choreographers apart from others is, in my opinion, their daring style. The unbridled assertiveness that is so apparent in the culture infuses dance performances with an energy that audiences find refreshing and unforgettable. One of Israel’s most notoriously courageous choreographers, Yasmeen Godder, will unleash her newest firecracker, Singular Sensation, this week at the Suzanne Dellal Center.

The piece promises to be an emotional roller-coaster.
Following three shows this coming weekend, the company sets sail for France to participate in the prestigious Montpellier Dance Festival. Godder returned to Israel in 1997 after several years in New York City where she earned a BA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. While there, Godder turned heads with her bold and risky choreography. Her repertory, which includes international successes such as Strawberry Cream and Gunpowder and I’m Mean, I Am, challenges audiences to think beyond the aesthetically pleasing boundaries of dance.

In 2001, she received a Bessie Award, New York’s highest dance honor, for her work I Feel Funny Today. Godder further pushes the limits with her new piece, in which five dancers embark on a search for true authentic emotion. Over the past several months, Godder, along with her cast of performers, hunkered down to investigate the issue of authentic emotion in their Jaffa studio space. They asked themselves difficult questions such as, “who we are and what is true to us in a hyper-informed, self-conscious world? With all the extraneous stimulation we absorb, how can we find a real thrill or an honest connection?” Based on this exploration of the vast expanse between numbness and excitement, Singular Sensation was born. It promises to be an emotional roller coaster.

The piece premiers on June 19 at 9 p.m. with two more shows the two following days. Tickets are priced at NIS 90/110. For more information (03) 510-5656 or www.suzannedellal.org.il