BY LILY BOUVIER
Week three of the “La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival” commences with two brand new — and excitingly unique — programs of never before seen choreography.
The Israel/New York Series is a program of premieres that will bring together nine different Israeli choreographers and dance troupes based in both Israel and New York. Many of the choreographers from Israel (Arkadi Zaides, Idan Cohen, Maya Brinner, Tomer Sharabi & Maya Stern and Yossi Berg & Oded Graf) will be making their American debuts. These Israeli groups will be joined by New York-based LeeSaar The Company and Deganit Shemy, along with the YelleB Dance Ensemble (which considers both Israel and New York as its home).
Each night of the series will include performances by a different selection of the troupes. On June 8 and 9, the selection will include Arkadi Zaides’ “Quiet.” The piece is a reaction to the unrelenting violence between communities in Israel, and it will be performed by both Jewish and Arab dancers, all who live within the borders of Israel. Each night’s live performances will be interspersed within a series of short animated dance films created by Dimension Three, a contemporary art lab in Tel Aviv. June 8-12, 7:30pm, at La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 E. 4th St. (btw. 2nd Ave. and Bowery).
Also a program of premiere works, Intricate Intimacies is an exploration of the solo, duet and trio forms and will feature over a dozen separate performances.
The series boasts choreography by Judith Sánchez Ruíz, Mariah Maloney, Brandin Steffensen, Arturo Vidich, James Buster Grant and Caridad Martinez. “The challenge and excitement of this project is to further discover and express the spirit of this music in a solo dance,” says Mariah Maloney, who will perform her own choreography (“Irish Solo: Turas,” inspired by traditional Irish music). In her work “Solo,” Martinez uses the solo form to portray how loneliness affects the self and moves through the body. June 9-12, 7:30pm, at La MaMa First Floor Theatre, 74A E. 4th Street.
For tickets ($15, $10 for students and seniors) or for a full schedule of events, call 212-475-7710 or visit lamama.org.
