This is the 36th year that Karmiel will become the dance capital and for three days from morning to night it will be filled with sounds and dances. The Karmiel Dance Festival will take place this year between August 1-3, and about 3,000 dancers from dance companies from all over the country will participate and perform in the various festival events under the artistic direction of Gadi Biton.
Eili Boatner and the Foreign Children - Drops
The festival will open with a festive performance "Hora Maa" marking the 100th anniversary of the Israeli Hora dance, and tells the story of Israeli dance from the 20s until today with the participation of Israeli dance companies and artists Eli Boatner and Foreign Children, the Gevatron, Yizhar Cohen and military troupes.
Eili Boatner and the Foreign Children, Photo: Alon Levin
Among the most prominent events at the festival: the choreography competition that will be dedicated this year to songs by Keren Peles and with her participation, alongside singer Shai Humber and hosted by Yael Bar Zohar. The bands will compose new dances to her songs from all times and Keren Peles will conclude the evening with a collection of songs.
Keren Peles, Photo: Coco
At the event, the Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Israeli folk dance will be awarded to Danny Benshalom, whose contribution to Israeli dance left its mark on the field and assisted the development of Israeli dance throughout the generations. In addition: the closing performance of the festival "I Have a Dream" with original dance works featuring Ruhama Raz and Eliav Zohar alongside Idan Reichel, "Endless Meeting" - a tribute show to Naomi Shemer marking two decades since her death - with the participation of her singer son Ariel Horowitz, the Jerusalem Ballet Company with the new work "He Walked in the Fields", by Yegor Menshikov, inspired by Moshe Shamir's eternal romance about the love story of Holocaust survivor Mika and Uri the kibbutz's "golden child" against the background of the Palmach period and the struggle for Israeli independence.
Eliav Zohar, Photo: Or Danon
Additional performances: "Red Shoe" - at the center of which will be dance works dedicated to people and stories from the Holocaust, a dance performance entitled "Democracy" - with dance works that will touch on issues representing democracy, social equality, government, human rights and more, Maya Belsitzman and Matan Efrat in an intimate dance performance of the best Hebrew classics performed live on cello and percussion, and hundreds more dances that will take place around the clock in five different locations. The dances will take place according to different concepts under the artistic direction of Yaron Carmel.
Karmiel Dance Festival (archive), photo: Eli Goaz
"The parent, who has long since become a symbol of Israeliness in Israel and around the world, will be at the center of the festival this year. I invite the audience to go through with us the journey of the history of the parent and the mystery that connects the original dance to what we call 'our national dance' and enjoy this year a rich and diverse festival from all styles of dance," said Gadi Biton, artistic director of the festival.
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