Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival: A night of music, movement, and hope

There were 95 artists on the stage of the Jerusalem Theatre Saturday night – 64 members of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and 31 dancers from around the world. Just about every seat was taken for the gala evening, part of the Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival, the city’s first international contemporary dance festival.

Before the performance began, two dancers performed outside in the plaza in front of the theater. For their last song, they brought audience members in to join them in what felt a welcome break from the ongoing war. Another welcome break was free wine, as the evening was sponsored by the Teperberg winery, among others organizations, and representatives of the winery were pouring glasses of wine before the performance began.

“Dance causes us to look at the world in a different way,” festival director and founder of Angela Dance Company Miriam Engel told the audience. “Tonight, we will go on a journey of music and dance that shows hope for a new future.”

The evening consisted of 13 short pieces, some of which were choreographed especially for this occasion. They ranged from classic to modern – all accompanied by the orchestra, which sat on stage rather than in the pit and in that way became part of the show. Most of the pieces were performed as duets with incredible energy and talent.

A blend of modern and classical pieces

I especially enjoyed the more modern pieces set to songs like Freddie Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was performed by the choreographer himself, Juan Cruz Luque, who is from Romania and Argentina, and Bart Howard’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” choreographed by Margot Gelber from the US and performed by two dancers from the US.

The musical director, Nizar Elkhater, also did a lot of the musical arrangements. Another notable dance piece was to the Prelude in C-sharp minor of Sergei Rachmaninoff, which was choreographed by Miriam Engel, who also danced it along with Juan Cruz Luque. It was achingly beautiful.

There was a solo piece by Dr. Chai Ju Shen from Taiwan, who choreographed and danced a modern piece that displayed her talent.

The three-day festival also included outdoor performances at the Hansen House, master classes, and discussion events with the audience.

“JISDF – Jerusalem 2022 is an immediate meeting point in the connection between cultures and people, in the tension between body and place, and in the possibility of personal and universal multidisciplinary expression – just like this city,” the festival website says. “In a black dress and sneakers, in ripped jeans and a blazer, the JISDF festival celebrates movement, and creation that is all here and now.”

I hope this festival will become an annual event in Jerusalem.