Liat Dror and Nir Ben Gal, as key figures in Israeli choreography, raise issues in all their pieces that are essential to their homeland, their lives. The Dance of Nothing brings together six Israeli dancers and four Arab musicians on stage. This is a love story, or rather a story about love, a forbidden love between a Palestinian woman and an Israeli man, from similar backgrounds and with the same skin colour, two beings who are victims of everyone's hostility. The two choreographers set out the dance in their own kinetic language, typical and full of tensions. In this interplay that is sometimes violent, sometimes delicate, masculine and feminine energies confront each other. But soon these are not alone in binding the lovers to each other. Very rapidly, the current divides into ever-widening circles: family, friends, church, state, which encroach upon each other. In spite of all the problems, this is a celebration, and bread is kneaded and cooked on stage to share with the audience.


Source : Liat Dror Nir Ben Gal Dance Company website

Author, filmmaker and video artist Charles Picq (1952-2012) entered working life in the 70s through theatre and photography. A- fter resuming his studies (Maîtrise de Linguistique - Lyon ii, Maîtrise des sciences et Techniques de la Communication - grenoble iii), he then focused on video, first in the field of fine arts at the espace Lyonnais d'art Contemporain (ELAC) and with the group « Frigo », and then in dance.
   On creation of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon in 1980, he was asked to undertake a video documentation project that he has continued ever since. During the ‘80s, a decade marked in France by the explosion of contemporary dance and the development of video, he met numerous artists such as andy Degroat, Dominique Bagouet, Carolyn Carlson, régine Chopinot, susanne Linke, Joëlle Bouvier and regis Obadia, Michel Kelemenis. He worked in the creative field with installations and on-stage video, as well as in television with recorded shows, entertainment and documentaries.

His work with Dominique Bagouet (80-90) was a unique encounter. He documents his creativity, assisting with Le Crawl de Lucien and co-directing with his films Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux and 10 anges. in the 90s he became director of video development for the Maison de la Danse and worked, with the support of guy Darmet and his team, in the growing space of theatre video through several initiatives:
       - He founded a video library of dance films with free public access. This was a first for France. Continuing the video documentation of theatre performances, he organised their management and storage.
       - He promoted the creation of a video-bar and projection room, both dedicated to welcoming school pupils.
       - He started «présentations de saisons» in pictures.
       - He oversaw the DVD publication of Le tour du monde en 80 danses, a pocket video library produced by the Maison de la Danse for the educational sector.

       - He launched the series “scènes d'écran” for television and online. He undertook the video library's digital conversion and created Numeridanse.

His main documentaries are: enchaînement, Planète Bagouet, Montpellier le saut de l'ange, Carolyn Carlson, a woman of many faces, grand ecart, Mama africa, C'est pas facile, Lyon, le pas de deux d'une ville, Le Défilé, Un rêve de cirque.

He has also produced theatre films: Song, Vu d'ici (Carolyn Carlson), Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux, 10 anges, Necesito and So schnell, (Dominique Bagouet), Im bade wannen, Flut and Wandelung (Susanne Linke), Le Cabaret Latin (Karine Saporta), La danse du temps (Régine Chopinot), Nuit Blanche (Abou Lagraa), Le Témoin (Claude Brumachon), Corps est graphique (Käfig), Seule et WMD (Françoise et Dominique Dupuy), La Veillée des abysses (James Thiérrée), Agwa (Mourad Merzouki), Fuenteovejuna (Antonio Gades), Blue Lady revistied (Carolyn Carlson).

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon

Artistic Direction: Liat Dror et Nir Ben Gal

Creation: 1996

First, as a young couple of dancers and choreographers Liat Dror & Nir Ben Gal began their career in Tel Aviv: « Two Room Apartment » - the first work by Dror and Ben-Gal. That work opened doors in Israel and abroad for the dancing couple, who worked as a dyad until they started their own Dance Company. After the duo toured the world extensively, they felt it was time to make changes. Dror and Ben-Gal started a family. At the same time, they were facing Israel's stressful, violent, and uncommunicative political reality, as well as the pressures that the world of dance imposed, physically collapsing under the efforts. It was time for change. They made an extraordinary move and relocated to Mitzpe Ramon, a small and simple township in the heart of theNegev Desert. There, they rented a deserted industrial hangar and slowly and gradually turned it into an enchanted palace of dance and harmony, surrounded by greenery. They named it Adama, that is - Earth or Land.

In this peaceful place, Dror and Ben-Gal started searching for the source of human movement when it is not driven by a judgmental mind, not pushed to the physical limit, but allows the body to form as a real and stable home. They addressed the connection between everyday life and dance qualities. Hangar Adama became home for numerous healing workshops, support groups, and of course - dance, with no contradiction between relaxation and expression, but rather a strong bond between the two.

Source: Lia Dror Nir Ben Gal Dance Company 's website

More information : adama.org