Ben Apfelbaum

KIBBUTZ CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS ‘HORSES IN THE SKY’

IMGL1040Images by Ben Apfelbaum.

The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company is the glorious phoenix that grew out of the ashes of the Holocaust.

In 1973 Yehudit Arnon found a dance company in Kibbutz Ga’Aton in Northern Israel where she had settled in 1948. At Auschwitz she had been punished for refusing to dance for Nazi soldiers by being left to freeze in the snow. She promised to herself that if she survived she would dedicate her life to dance.

The late Holocaust survivor’s Company is now in the hands of dynamic Artistic Director Rami Be’er, born in Kibbutz Ga’Aton, who took over the reins in 1996.

The opening night gala performance received a standing ovation. The sixteen exceptional dancers, comprising of half Israelis  and half international dancers, performed for an hour with an  intensity and drive that would have made a second hour impossible. Performing to a broad spectrum of music ranging from Bjork to Elvis Presley, from vaudeville tp obscure pieces by Olaf Arnalds and Tim Heckler, created variegated rhythms of the different musical styles which were effortlessly matched by the exuberant, lithesome athletic and expressive movements of the Company.

As well as ensemble unity Be’Er’s choreography brought out the individuality of each performer. The dancers came in all shapes and sizes, clearly selected on merit alone, and it showed. Be’Er insists that he doesn’t create a performance that requires a certain and narrow interpretation. However, this world premiere production inspired by the lyrics of folk pop group Silver Mt Zion’s song Horses In The Sky  is clearly about a dystopian universe where, in a few pas de deuxs, love tries to flourish only to be crushed by catastrophe and madness, as symbolised by the relentless and pulsating rhythms with spurts of crazy vaudeville.

Be’Er is a Renaissance man, responsible not only for the  choreography but the staging, lighting. costume design and music selection. This creates a unity of vision that translates into an intense emotional experience, a dazzling delight for the eye and ear,

I was engrossed in his universe, loved the soundtrack and was moved by the dancers.  This short season between August 31 and September 3  sold out quickly, hopefully ensuring the speedy return of this talented company and director after this, their first and successful visit.

 

 

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.