Jennifer Greenberg sits down with choreographer and dancer, Tamar Borer, to ask about her upcoming double-header duet dance performance, Zellem and “Tonight or Never”
What was your motivation behind “Zellem”?
Tamar: I began working on Zellem exactly one year ago when I became interested in the movement that begins deep within us, specifically in our bone marrow. With this idea in mind, I approached the art of dance by examining the quality of humanity within oneself. I thought about what constitutes humane values on a daily basis, especially in Israel: what it means to be living here as an Israeli, a human being, and a collaborator with the political and social aspects of the country. Most importantly, I pondered the values of being human in this day and came to the realization that we need to give each other space. This theme of giving space is the focal point of Zellem. I chose to choreograph a duet with Tamar Lamm because I felt it was the best way to truly examine this space between human movements.
Alongside this notion of space came an interest in stillness. I tried to get closer to the philosophy of what movement is within a still body, or even more so, the still point within the soul of a single being, which acts as a resting place.
The performance contains many multimedia aspects, including visual, sound and setting? Can you tell me a little about each aspect?
Tamar: First of all, the set is made up entirely of white boxes. Within some are LED lights that illuminate certain cubes, while others are left dark. Some are large, some are small, some are higher, some are lower and some are wider. Nonetheless, all form cubes. The point is to have set pieces that take on a life of their own: they really live, breath and resemble the voice of stillness that can be very vivid at times. I was blessed to work with a young and fresh-minded lighting designer, Nadav Barnea.
Two pieces of video artwork will appear in Zellem, by the great Tamara Erde, who I have worked with in the past. She is an artist that knows how to capture the interior frequency of things, and in this piece, she uses images of trees in all forms to reflect the human skeleton. Sometimes our skeleton is very erect, sometimes it’s resting and still, while other times it is completely broken like a tree that has been chopped down. Tamara uses another dimension to put into question what the real values of a human being are – expanded through the realms of nature.
Your choice in costumes is quite unique in its minimalism. Can you elaborate on the costume design?
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Tamar: Of course. Sasson Kedem is a dear friend of mine and a very established costume designer in the community. He has done great work for me for many years now and really understands me to the point where he now tells me, “All I need is for you to come into my workshop and talk to me. From your words, I can create the image.” He gets to the precise essence of my reach. For Zellem, Sasson designed white gowns that give off a priest/madhouse/wandering nomad look. I feel that all of those polarities come together in a single piece of white fabric to reflect the multiple existences within the same person at the same time.
You are hosting a second duet performance as well during the two evenings. Can you tell me a little more about that?
Tamar: Yes. December 7th and 8th will include two duets: Zellem, and a second duet called “Tonight or Never,” performed by Japanese Butoh dancers, Mutsumi and Neiro. I met the two dancers when I was invited to Japan to stay with my Butoh teacher for a series of workshops in April. They attended the workshops as well and we spent two hours dancing together and then an extra half hour afterwards talking with one another. Our souls connected immediately – it was a very touching and inspiring encounter.
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I knew then and there that we had to collaborate. So, I invited them to stay with me in Israel and I promised to take them to the Dead Sea, which is a very special place for me spiritually. Next thing I knew, I received an e-mail from Neiro that they would be in town in December and I immediately suggested organizing a duo of duet performances. And here we are.
Can you describe the Butoh style of dance? When did you come across the unique Japanese style?
Tamar: Butoh is a very wide and verified style…well, not even a style, it’s more of a philosophy of life. Since a very young age, I was dancing Butoh without even knowing what to call it. It was only later that I truly explored it theoretically. In one sentence, Butoh is the research of allowing the soul to lead the way, while all the rest follows calmly.
How do the two performances tie together? Were they created collaboratively?
Tamar: The two pieces were created separately, but I think even though “Tonight or Never” is something which begins with a couple getting married – a concept that is very concrete – while Zellem is more philosophical and poetic, I think we’re both actively speaking about the essence of dance, which is very similar to all of us.
Is there anything else you want the audience to know?
Tamar: Actually, there is. I want to touch on the music of Zellem quickly. I believe that it bridges the two performances in terms of locations. For the past years, I have created my own soundtracks with very verified venues and directions. This time, I chose to collect and edit sentences that were spoken by the founder of Butoh himself. Tatsumi Hijikata was a very wise philosopher and all together sage person that fascinated me. While researching his lectures, I found common denominators in his way of expression, so I chose to edit five sentences from his writings and insert them into Zellem’s soundtrack. Spoken by the voice of Harold Rubin, I’d love to leave you on this quote:
"I only want to sit down like a child on the threshold of wholeness, a child who is waiting for something to be handed out." –Tatsumi Hijikata
Dec 7, 8. 20:30. NIS 80. Ha-Teiva, 19 Jerusalem Ave, Jaffa Port (03-6822403 / http://www.hateiva.com/)