When Lior Avitsour, the new artistic director of the Batsheva band, entered her new office - she changed the position of the desk and painted the walls.
"Since I was 12 years old, every time there is a renewal - I paint the wall."
Next to the hanging photographs of the band, there is a poster of the ImPulsTanz festival, known for its subversive artistic line, where Avistur was hosted last August, and it is a kind of statement of intent for those in the know.
She started dancing at the age of 3 in her mother's studio in Petah Tikva.
"The joke is that it was cheaper than a babysitter. I loved it, and that's what I knew how to do. Dancing was like oxygen, an element I don't know how to live without."
As a girl in the village for young artists in Tel Aviv, she met David Dvir, who invited her to join the prestigious dance program at Thelma Yelin. Avistur agreed and devoted herself to four years of dance. The day after her final matriculation exam, she became a student, and in retrospect, she stopped studying only six months ago, at the age of 41 , as she holds a Ph.D.
Lior Avitsour, photo: Asaf K
"I agreed to the adventure"
Avitsour is a well-known figure in the Israeli dance field even before her recent appointment in Bat Sheva.
For years she has been initiating, curating and facilitating events, mostly of an alternative nature, in various arenas: "I have invested my entire professional graduate life in what is not hegemony - in independent platforms, in powerful practices."
About three years ago, a chance conversation with Ohad Naharin led to her appointment as the principal of the new Batsheva school.
She was surprised, probably because the band doesn't often let in people who didn't grow up in it, and her curiosity made her agree to the adventure.
About two weeks ago she took up the position of artistic director: "In 90% of my actions I feel committed to the Israeli dance field. I don't sit on a chair and close the door."
says - and maintains, and dedicated the first days in her position to a meeting with Sharon Bar Lev, CEO of the Choreographers Association, and to two studio meetings with independent creators, with future collaborations in mind.
The process requires patience: "This is long-distance running. There are no immediate suspects for this."
Batsheva band (archive), photo: Ilya Malinkov
"make the most"
The Batsheva band is a dominant cultural body of heavy weight.
"It excites me. This is another angle of the same occupation, another opportunity to engage in dance, which fascinates me so much. The connection between the new position and the doctoral thesis is a direct connection for me. I feel like a curator who has been given the shift to look after this collection and get the most out of it." .
She remembers very well the first time she was exposed to the troupe: "I went with the class on behalf of Sel Tarvat to watch 'Sabotage Baby', and I saw the scene of the dancer walking on crutches. This show changed my and many other children's perception of what art is."
The separation between the role of artistic management and the role of house choreographer - reserved for Naharin, the dominant creator and trailblazer - is unusual in the local and international dance field.
The move was made only about four years ago, during which "Gili Navot, whom I am replacing, had to find out what this separate role was and create it with her own hands. I am getting a position that has already been carved out, and now I have to fill it with my character and make sure that I keep everything that is good here.
"The band is a healthy and inspiring institution in its conduct. Just to preserve this thing in our challenging climate is a miracle, which requires a lot of maintenance. One of the first things I did was to study the band's entire repertoire, because it is my job to take care of, nurture and present it."
Batsheva band in action (archive), photo: Ilya Melnikov
Busy with what is now
Avistur learns through the body, and makes sure even on busy days to participate in "Gaga" classes - the language of movement developed by Naharin, and at the same time attend the dancers' rehearsals every day.
When she ran the school, she even went back to the ballet classes, in order to re-understand the method and adapt to the spirit of the school.
"We don't have pointe shoes. No one will get blood from their toes."
Abitsur is at the beginning of her term, which is limited to three years and a maximum of two consecutive years ("and it's good that way"), and understands that she must take care of the band's past, present and future.
The dialogue with Naharin is fruitful, and allows her to test the tools, the areas of knowledge she has gained and her taste with the same means she has had throughout her professional path.
Questions about the distant future of the band - the day after the departure of Naharin, who is currently working on a new job - are not visible: "'The day after' will come. Right now I am busy with the day now."
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