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Hofesh Shechter Company Makes Its U.S. Debut at Jacob's Pillow - June 20, 2008
 | | Photo Courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow |
Becket – After a rapid rise to fame in the U.K., Hofesh Shechter Company makes its U.S. debut at Jacob’s Pillow July 9 – 13. The company’s program at the Pillow includes two works: Uprising and In your rooms, provocative dances charged with physical and dramatic intensity. Israeli-born Shechter, a former dancer for the world renowned Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, directed by Ohad Naharin, has received recognition for numerous choreographic achievements, including winning first place in the Serge Diaghilev Choreography Competition and having his work selected as one of five finalists by The Place Prize in London in 2004. The Observer (U.K.) says, “Although he’s only been making dance for five years, no other choreographer combines such a thrilling command of rhythm with such subtle manipulation of spatial dynamics.”
Ella Baff, Jacob’s Pillow Executive Director, comments, “I look for new companies and choreographers who have something strong and different to say. Hofesh fulfills this. He is bold and imaginative and claims the audience’s attention. People should take advantage of the opportunity to see these first performances of the company in the U.S. because Hofesh is about to launch as a major presence in the dance world. He is a new voice that will really excite audiences and bring something new to the industry.”
Uprising, an electrifying work with a powerful cast of seven men, employs a percussive score composed by Shechter himself. Dancers emerge from the shadows, bombarding the stage. With gripping force, the men interact in a multitude of ways, bonding and sparring, making up and falling out. The edgy movement and energetic score connects immediately with audiences. The Financial Times (U.K.) says, “How often do you see something of the moment, at the edge of hipness, which also has substance, is obviously the product of a serious creative process and stays with you beyond the performance? Not often, I presume, so when it happens, it is something of which to take note.”
The product of a unique collaboration between three major London performance venues, In your rooms has garnered high praise from London’s dance critics. The Observer hails In your rooms as “Probably the most important new dance work to be created in Britain since the millennium.” In 2007 London’s The Place, Southbank Centre, and Sadler’s Wells joined forces to produce In your rooms, showcasing the choreography in three stages. Beginning at the 300-seat Place, performances culminated in sold-out shows at the 1500-seat Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Each performance marked a new step in the choreographic process—by the time the work reached the stage at Sadler’s Wells, live music and two additional dancers were added to the program. In the work, dancers reveal their shifting motives and vulnerabilities through intricate encounters. Shechter says, “It’s about what I think of as all the hidden emotions we try to keep away from the public, or from being brought outdoors.” In your rooms also features an original score by Shechter, in collaboration with Nell Catchpole, that will be performed live at Jacob’s Pillow.
Hofesh Shechter graduated from the Jerusalem Academy for Dance and Music. While in Tel Aviv, he worked with celebrated choreographer Ohad Naharin in Batsheva Dance Company and studied percussion. Shechter later continued his studies in Paris at the Agostiny College of Rhythm. He also experimented with music composition while participating in various dance, theatre, and body percussion projects in Europe. In 2002 he moved to the U.K. and joined Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company. Shechter made his choreographic debut in 2004 with Fragments, which won first place in the third Serge Diaghilev Choreography Competition, and has since become a dominant figure in London’s dance scene. In 2004, Shechter’s Cult was selected as one of five finalists for The Place Prize. He has choreographed for Bare Bones Dance Company, Ballet CeDeCe in Portugal, the Hellenic Dance Company in Athens, The Royal Court Theatre for Motortown by Simon Stephens, and The National Theatre’s production of Saint Joan directed by Marianne Elliot. His company consists of a formidable cast of performers from leading contemporary dance companies in the U.K. including Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company, Peter Schaufuss Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, and Russell Maliphant Company.
For more information on Hofesh Shechter Company and Jacob’s Pillow visit www.hofesh.co.uk and www.jacobspillow.org. |
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