Tell us a bit about your dance background and where you’re from.
My name is Lia, and I’m 22 years old. I grew up in Italy, where I began dancing as a child by attending a movement class once a week. Later, I moved back to Israel with my family, and it was clear to me that dancing was something I would do no matter where I was. Dance continued to accompany me wherever I went, and at some point, the roles reversed, and I was the one following dance. In 7th grade, I started studying at The Reut School of Arts in Haifa, where I completed my high school education majoring dance. In the military, I served as an Outstanding Dancer and studied in The Maslool Professional Dance Program (Tel-Aviv Jaffa) under the direction of Naomi Perlov, Niv Marinberg, and Ofir Dagan. Today, I can say that movement and I go hand in hand.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience as a dancer in the Second Company (KCDC 2), the Dance Journey program and in the Kibbutz Summer Intensive and ultimately your transition to the main company?
My first encounter with the company was back in the Kibbutz Summer Intensive in 2012, right after I finished 6th grade. I remember the very physical repertoire and the experience of living in the kibbutz, which left a lasting impression on me. The Kibbutz Summer Intensive at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton is definitely an unforgettable experience. The years passed, and I was accepted into the second company (KCDC 2) under the management of Danny Eshel, where I spent my first year as an apprentice. It was an intensive and tough year that tested my desire and willingness to dance here, and my answer was clear. After another year with the Second Company, with dozens of morning performances and travels across the country (and even a bit outside it), I joined the main company in July 2023. The transition to the main company was a dream coming true but also brought its own complexities. On one hand, I felt experienced and somewhat “local” after two years in the young company, but on the other hand, the companies operate as separate entities, so there were many feelings accompanying these new beginnings.
What attracted you to the movement language of Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and Rami Be’er’s work?
As a teenager living in the northern part of Israel, I had the privilege of watching many performances by Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. My admiration for the amazing dancers who moved on the stage of the Zichri Theater [the performance hall in the kibbutz where the company works daily] still feels as fresh as if it were yesterday. The vitality and fire I saw in them that touched me are what drive me today as a dancer. Rami’s movement language demands that the dancer push the boundaries of the body and rediscover them in different forms. The endless possibilities within movement and the invitation to discover how to find more even when it seems there’s nothing left, and how totality and commitment are ways to open doors to new worlds—these are the things that draw me into the fascinating world of Rami Be’er and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company.
What is it like living amongst professional dancers, international dance students, and dance professionals at The International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel?
The unique way of life I’ve experienced through working with the company is an incredible gift. The ability to disconnect from the noisy and chaotic world outside the kibbutz gates is a blessing. Kibbutz Ga’aton is a bubble of life and art intertwined: the numerous studios scattered throughout the kibbutz, the preschool children, the farmers working in the avocado orchards around the kibbutz, and the dancers at various stages of their careers which you meet daily in the local grocery store create a sense of inspiration and a continuous flow of renewal and creativity. When I am in the kibbutz, I feel like I am walking on fertile ground.
Can you share with us how/what you feel dancing with the company on stage?
When I perform with the company, I feel two clear sensations: what I know and what I don’t know, and the interplay happens between them. The magic of dance lies in the fact that it is a living art created in the moment, with each moment being unique and thus one of a kind. Rehearsals and studio work are certainly important and are an integral part of professional dance, but for me, the moment of stillness just before the curtain rises, the darkness that contains so much uncertainty, is the art. It’s what excites me every time.
A closing thought?
In these harsh times when sometimes we forget our humanity, I’m grateful to be able to continue working, to let my soul move and to channel my energies into art.
Come dance with us at our home at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel and take part in the:
