|
|
Our Israel Project Update
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Artistic Director Marylee Hardenbergh and Program Consultant Jenny Moore are back from Acre, Israel and wanted to update you about their performance project.
(If you are receiving this email at multiple addresses, you can use the SafeUnsubscribe link at the end of the message to remove one of your addresses)
|
| Israel Performance Postponed until 2009
|
|
Days before our outdoor site-specific performance at the sea in Acre, riots broke out in Acre. The Mayor of Acre canceled our performance, along with several other arts activities planned for that same week. This was especially disappointing because we had already been rehearsing intensely for 3 weeks. Since we were living and working  in the Old City, we were safe as the violence occurred in the New City of Acre. Jewish storefronts were broken, twelve Arab homes were burned, and some injuries were incurred, though fortunately no one was killed during the four nights of clashes. Many police and soldiers were called in to keep order in the city, and in our last days of rehearsing, we encountered dozens of them while walking to the site from our hotel. Only one of them was willing to be photographed so here he is posing with Jenny.
We're planning to return in May of 2009 to mount our performance.
|
So close and yet so far...
|
|
The sad thing was that we were four days away from performing our "Dance of the Waves," which was scheduled to take place right before sunset making use of the beautiful westerly view over the Mediterranean Sea. We had worked closely with the composers and the final version of the music had already been mastered in Jerusalem. All of the costumes were ready and the entire dance concept was in place. Our radio station was set to simulcast the music and we had rehearsed with several dancers in different sections, fishermen and our alpha boat captain. We had spent hours cleaning the beach site which was strewn with plastic bottles and broken glass.
|
The Artistic Matrix
|
|
 We were fortunate to work closely with so many wonderful and talented people from Acre. Our host organization, Alaswar, is headed up by an incredible couple, Hanan and Yacoub Hijazi. The first few days after our arrival, they swept us up and took us to their family dinners after they had been fasting all day for Ramadan. We couldn't have asked for a more gracious host. Hanan found our composers, our seamstress, our fishermen, and gathered the dancers for us.
Here is our lead beach dancer in an early rehearsal.
|
Amazing People Over There
|
|
 We cannot do justice to all the amazing individuals whom we met when we were over there. The spirits of those living in Acre are strong and buoyant. We were incredibly fortunate to have been introduced to two legendary dancers, Yardena Cohen and Yehudith Arnon, aged 97 and 86 respectively. Both are still active and teaching classes! Our marvelous liaison for these meetings was Henia Rottenberg. Henia was one of our "Wise Women" performers, and amazingly showed up for rehearsal after the riots. Another Wise Woman of note was Samea Matta, who also showed courage and came to rehearsal. They made a radiant Jewish-Arab team, and our rehearsal that day felt so important, especially in light of the clashes. Here, this was the power of dance, to create a sense of rhythm and well-being together.
Here is Henia Rottenberg with Yehudith Arnon.
| |
|
|
|
Oh, the wonder of it all!
How wondrous it is to be involved in a project like this. We feel so fortunate to be able to have worked with the people in Acre, and that we can go back to complete our performance! Thanks go to our wonderful donors, without whom this work would not be possible!
We continue to seek funding for our Israel project. If you wish to contribute, you could make a tax-deductible check out to "The Marian Chace Foundation" -- our fiscal agent -- and mail it to Global Site Performance at 2230 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418.
Marylee Hardenbergh
Global Site Performance
Visit our website: http://globalsiteperformance.org
If you received this newsletter in your inbox, you are already on our mailing list. We use our mailing list for periodic newsletters and announcements of upcoming performances. We will never sell or give away your email.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
