BLUE ZONE
Premiere: Israel Festival 2020, Jerusalem | Artistic Director: Itzik Giuli
Blue Zone presents a new approach to movement in performative and public spaces, challenging conventional concepts of the dancing body while exploring prevailing social and political perceptions. The ensemble is composed of 13 women aged 67-84, non-dancers, who reveal the collective biography inscribed in their bodies, shaped by the societal ethos and national ideals on which they were raised upon. Simultaneously, they make space for eros and individual bodily expression. In ‘Blue Zone’, past and present are positioned side by side; through the deconstruction of collective ideas and movements that redefine the mature body, questions arise concerning identity, body, place, and home.
Video Trailer: Oren Mansura | Music: Avi Belleli | Graphic Design: Nurit Branda
Creation and Choreography: Galit Liss
Co-Creator: Orit Gross
Performers (in alphabetical order): Smadar Carmon, Sara Dagan, Smadar Elad, Orit Gross, Terry Kischinovsky, Nurit Limor, Ada Naggar, Zipora Ram Fink, Orna Schur, Dorit Shaharabani, Halina Shamshins, Naomi Yahel, Vered Yatziv
Dramaturgy: Nataly Zukerman
Music: Avi Belleli
Stage Design: Iris Mualem
Costume Design: Maya Bash
Light Design: Rotem Alroy
Sound and Mix: Marco Tomasin Milevsky
Vocal Coaching: Michal Oppenheim
Performance Manager: Noa Dar
Photography: Eli Passi
Graphic Design: Nurit Branda
International Relations and Production: Alina Feldman
Duration: 60 minutes
The piece is supported by Mifal HaPais (Israel Lottery Council for the Art), the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts Tel Aviv, the Choreographer's Association, Kfar Saba Country Club, and Shamshinas Family.
Thank you to: Zahala Community Center, Tel Aviv
REVIEWS
“…Liss manages to crystalize a rare and desired simplicity for dancers, especially for bodies that have accumulated many habits over the years; The women in "Blue Zone" are free of mannerisms, and present a confident stage presence that is committed to the scenic image they create… in "Blue Zone", the performers do not "disappear" within the choreography. On the contrary, every move or sweat in their faces is fascinating when they realize the collective choreography that miraculously uncovers their personalities… When the lights are turned off, it is no longer Atlas that carries the world, but rather an old, small and determined woman".
Ran Brown, Haaretz, 16.9.20
"'Blue Zone' is a requiem for the 'Wall and Tower' (Homa u'Migdal) era… Liss and the performers offer a different wall, feminine and more humane, that displays the notion of collective solidarity motivated by powerful tenderness. This way, the work resonates with the current point in time during which women are reclaiming their place in the space of their country".
Dr. Idit Suslik, The Contemporary Eye, 13.9.20
Galit Liss’s ensemble captivates with its mature, vibrant dancers who embody authenticity and openness. Seamlessly blending personal and social narratives, their performance transcends the stage, leaving the audience uplifted and deeply moved. Anat Zecharia, Habama (The Stage)
Anat Zecharia, Habama (The Stage), 8.7.21
"Blue Zone: How to dismantle the Zionist body and rebirth it anew. The work of Galit Liss, who has been collaborating with elderly women that are not professional dancers, offers a shaking movement mixture that deals with loyalty to the state and draw a line between the ageing body and the faltering national vision".
Joy Bernard, Portfolio, 24.7.21