Haifa Contemporary Dance Workshop
Haifa Arts Foundation supported the production of three dance pieces of the Association for the Advancement of Modern Dance–Haifa: Barefoot, Natasha, and Pause.
Initiated by Mrs. Ada Orni, The Association for the Advancement of Modern Dance – Haifa, formerly known (until 2015) as the Dancers Training Workshop, was established in 1995 by local dance enthusiasts. The Association set as a goal to bring the language of art dance to the city and to establish a place of vocational training for dancers.
The beginning was in 1995, with a dance studio that gave lessons to adults. The Dancers and Choreographers Training Workshop was opened in 2000. The Foundation managed the workshop independently up to 2013, since when it operates under the administrative management of Beit HaGefen.
Haifa Contemporary Dance Workshop is looking for talented and highly motivated dancers. People with creative capability, independent exploring thinking, ready to start a challenging development process that will prepare them for the demanding requirements of the industry.
The Workshop offers a framework for dancers who want to learn and participate in the professional dance sector, with an emphasis on personal expression that includes a broader worldview and proactive work routines. The Workshop trains its students to become thinking, professional artists, with the ability to create a long-term career in dance.
Subjects taught in the Workshop
Working with choreographers, personal work, repertory, improvisation, changing workshops (theater, contact), ballet, modern technique, contemporary dance classes, Pilates/yoga/Gyrokinesis, guest lectures and theoretical courses.
Teachers and Choreographers:
Sahar Azimi, Gil Kerer, Tanya Rodkovsky, Dror Shoval, Noa Shilo, Neta Shlain, Dganit Shemi, Naama Spitzer, Ada Orni, Ido Batash, Iris Breslev, Adi Weinberg, Tom Wexler, Yael Cnaani, Din Malka, Eilit Marom.
The program includes working with teachers and guest teachers, and personal accompaniment of the students during their growth process. There are also special projects including hosting workshops in performance, video, music and various art disciplines that help in developing skills required for work incorporating the arts.
Workshop Alumni
In its twenty years of activity, the workshop trained more than 400 dancers and choreographers who are active in the national professional dance sector. Dance Workshop graduates perform in troupes, work with independent artists, as administrators in various fields of culture and education, and are active are artists. They are based in Israel and abroad and have tight professional relationship with the Workshop: they come to teach, create and collaborate with other students and alumni, thus making the Workshop into a place that is both a home and a professional extensive network.
Photos: Anat Merav
