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Published On: Apr 19, 2005 10:17 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Apr 19, 2005 10:17 PM
Have you nominated a dance or two for "Dance of the Year"?
2003 was well-blessed with new
material...
Meliss
from Atlanta is once again conducting another Rikud
Hashana poll on behalf of Rikudlistas.
In some ways, while the total number of potential pollees is much less than that represented by recent polls from Israeli-based groups, it also reflects a far less parochial and more widespread indication of a dance's uptake. Now some might think that this represents very little in comparison to what our Israel-based fellow dancers might think, but I reckon the choreographers are interested. Many of them do not have regular sessions and derive a goodly part of their income from international camps and workshops, so what dancers in the Diaspora like or not must come in for their consideration.
For the rest of us outside Israel, it is always interesting to see which dances made it outside of the camp in which they were introduced. Already I can see from the nominations who attended which camps during the year, as some dances didn't get shown anywhere else.
Here in Oz, because we have ready and easy access to a variety of materials and sources, very little gets under the radar, and scores a miss. Occasionally, a dance sneaks through because it hasn't yet made it to a Histalmut, or has only been shown in a local workshop, but these are rarities.
Also of interest are how often we're seeing dances which have just been shown in Machol Miami 2003. I'm not sure that dances shown three days before the end of the year ought to be counted. Using the Aussie database as the sole source of accuracy is misleading, since Jack Steele notes the date of a dance's first known showing in a public setting.
However, that may end up being changed should it become known a dance was created many years ago but never shown. That provokes something of a dilemma as to whether a dance created in 1985 (for instance) can become Rikud Hashana 2003.
My guess is that if it was first introduced for public consumption in 2003, it is entitled to be seen as an entry.
That said, I suspect that dances introduced exclusively at Machol Miami 2003 - the last camp for the year outside of israel - ought to be seen as 2004 dances.
Also, we have had some excellent circle dances, including MM 2002's hit, Amarine from Avi Levy.
Roberto's Shkarim, and Eskayo's Tirkedi Iti have proven favourites here in Melbourne where we like to mix the dances, and not be too formulaic.
A number of Gadi's dances remain popular (Chalamot/Chagigayah), helped by his visit to Melbourne in July, as do Dudu's dances (El Ha'or/Darbishiya), who also visited, in May.
Partner-wise, 2003 was very rich with great material from Shlomo Maman, Gadi, and Meir Shem-tov, whose circle and partner dances mark him as a dark horse. Roni Siman-tov and Rafi Ziv also visited in recent times, and in 2003 introduced good quality popular dances. Many of the nominated dances have been uploaded during 2003 for your viewing pleasure.
Ah, but the question is how do you judge?
• By what gets you up on your feet every time, even if your tired?
• Or which melds the steps to the music most satisfyingly?
• By which dance helps you feel more connected to Israel, or your sense of self, or your inner Baryshnikov or Fonteyn, as compared to the sugar plum fairy dancers?
Good luck to all who vote - it's a fun activity which hopefully will resurrect some forgotten dances, or introduce new material which has stood the test of time (well, a year or so anyway).
In some ways, while the total number of potential pollees is much less than that represented by recent polls from Israeli-based groups, it also reflects a far less parochial and more widespread indication of a dance's uptake. Now some might think that this represents very little in comparison to what our Israel-based fellow dancers might think, but I reckon the choreographers are interested. Many of them do not have regular sessions and derive a goodly part of their income from international camps and workshops, so what dancers in the Diaspora like or not must come in for their consideration.
For the rest of us outside Israel, it is always interesting to see which dances made it outside of the camp in which they were introduced. Already I can see from the nominations who attended which camps during the year, as some dances didn't get shown anywhere else.
Here in Oz, because we have ready and easy access to a variety of materials and sources, very little gets under the radar, and scores a miss. Occasionally, a dance sneaks through because it hasn't yet made it to a Histalmut, or has only been shown in a local workshop, but these are rarities.
Also of interest are how often we're seeing dances which have just been shown in Machol Miami 2003. I'm not sure that dances shown three days before the end of the year ought to be counted. Using the Aussie database as the sole source of accuracy is misleading, since Jack Steele notes the date of a dance's first known showing in a public setting.
However, that may end up being changed should it become known a dance was created many years ago but never shown. That provokes something of a dilemma as to whether a dance created in 1985 (for instance) can become Rikud Hashana 2003.
My guess is that if it was first introduced for public consumption in 2003, it is entitled to be seen as an entry.
That said, I suspect that dances introduced exclusively at Machol Miami 2003 - the last camp for the year outside of israel - ought to be seen as 2004 dances.
Also, we have had some excellent circle dances, including MM 2002's hit, Amarine from Avi Levy.
Roberto's Shkarim, and Eskayo's Tirkedi Iti have proven favourites here in Melbourne where we like to mix the dances, and not be too formulaic.
A number of Gadi's dances remain popular (Chalamot/Chagigayah), helped by his visit to Melbourne in July, as do Dudu's dances (El Ha'or/Darbishiya), who also visited, in May.
Partner-wise, 2003 was very rich with great material from Shlomo Maman, Gadi, and Meir Shem-tov, whose circle and partner dances mark him as a dark horse. Roni Siman-tov and Rafi Ziv also visited in recent times, and in 2003 introduced good quality popular dances. Many of the nominated dances have been uploaded during 2003 for your viewing pleasure.
Ah, but the question is how do you judge?
• By what gets you up on your feet every time, even if your tired?
• Or which melds the steps to the music most satisfyingly?
• By which dance helps you feel more connected to Israel, or your sense of self, or your inner Baryshnikov or Fonteyn, as compared to the sugar plum fairy dancers?
Good luck to all who vote - it's a fun activity which hopefully will resurrect some forgotten dances, or introduce new material which has stood the test of time (well, a year or so anyway).
Posted: Sun - January 11, 2004 at 04:02 PM |