New York's Gibney Company comes to dance in Israel

The dance troupe has a long history of collaborating with international artists, and Israeli choreographers are among their favorites

By Jessica Steinberg 20 February 2023, 10:21 pm Edit

Jessica Steinberg covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center.

New York’s Gibney Dance Company has collaborated with Israeli choreographers for years, among them Ohad Naharin and Sharon Eyal. Now the dance troupe is performing in Israel for the first time, at Tel Aviv’s Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater.

On March 1 and 2, the company will perform “Bliss” by Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, with music by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett; “Oh Courage!” by Sonya Tayeh; and “Sara” by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar — all at Suzanne Dellal.

The company’s first tour in Israel was made possible by the support of Jan Koum, co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp, and the performing arts Mart Foundation.

“We are all very excited about this opportunity to come to Tel Aviv, and are honored by this invitation from Mart,” said Gina Gibney, artistic director and founder of the company.

The company has a history of working with a wide range of international artists, said Gibney, and recently had the privilege of working with Batsheva choreographer Naharin, as they revisited his acclaimed work, “Yag,” originally created in 1996 for Batsheva.

Naharin’s Gaga dance movement is also a regular part of the development of Gibney’s Artistic Associates, as the company’s dance members are known.

Cross-cultural exchange has always been a core component of the group’s creative practice, said Gibney, noting that Batsheva will be performing in New York while Gibney Company is in Tel Aviv.

Gina Gibney, founder and artistic director of New York’s Gibney Company, coming to perform in Israel March 1 and 2, 2023 (Courtesy PR)

“Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing the Ensemble rehearse and perform ‘Kamuyot’ for various audiences throughout my visit,” said Gibney, referring to the classic Batsheva piece.

“This work reflects so many of our organizations’ shared values, and I’m really excited that I will be able to witness these processes while I’m in Israel,” she added.

As a first-time visitor to Israel, Gibney said she sees the opportunity as a wonderful way for the company to grow as individual artists, and also as a whole company and community.

“We learn from new perspectives and experiences,” she said. “It also gives us an opportunity to see our work through a whole new lens.”