Group. House of Dance, contact and improvisation Hakvutza

Hakvutza. School of Contemporary dance, Contact and Improvisation Itay Yatuv- Artistic director and Contact-Improvisation teacher: Hakvutza was actually established by the first group of students. They were a group of people in their 20's and 30's, who were looking for a place to dance that will not only be professional and profound, but also will know how to deal with their lack of experience. Andra: It seemed like a dream I'd have to try someday. Morahn: At some point during my army service I stopped, and I always missed it. I decided I just had to start dancing again, it's part of my life. Keren Segal, Contemporary dance teacher: All schools require an audition, or a certain background. This is the only school in the country that doesn't demand these qualifications. This school provides several profound and professional dance programs, in more technical fields such as Classical Ballet or contemporary dance, and also fields like Improvisation and Contact Improvisation. Besides the physical training during the program, the learning process becomes a door to the world of Contemporary dance. Anat Meron, Classical Ballet teacher: It's so fun to take a group of people who always wanted to dance, and were afraid, or shy, or didn't have time, and dissolve that boundary. Dror: I came with no experience, and I felt very comfortable here, to learn and make mistakes. I knew it was all acceptable. Joel Bray, Contemporary dance teacher: Dance class is always about doing what you can within your ability, for anyone. So there's no... it's not that adults cannot learn to dance physically. It's not body, it's all the mind. Then all of a sudden people go: wow, I'm dancing! It's a place that really does embrace you. They search with us for what we want- and where we want to take it. It's not intentional and systematic, in a- this is all there is, deal with it- kind of way. Salome: I really like the fact that it is a lot about the person, it's not about something you have to be able to know, it's a lot about yourself, and everybody has his own movement, and his own beauty and his own value. Probably the best thing about being in the Kvutza is that it's a course, it's the same group of people meeting with the same teacher, consistently, over a period of time. It means that you are able to develop material, so it can get progressively more and more difficult. Whereas, in an open class, I have to come each time and start again from zero. The really good thing is that it's a small group, and everyone is very very important. Eran: I remember people I've met and danced with from every course I took. All kinds of experiences. Each person was a kind of mirror to me. It's like… the people care for everybody here. It's not like you just come and dance and you go… it's kind of a family, or... Yeah, something like that. I can call it a home, but it's a little cheesy… Ella: it really is an accepting place which doesn't claim hierarchy of any kind, be it by gender or age… The real emphasis is on the question whether you like or don't like dancing. Sometimes I'll turn my back to fix the music, and I'll turn around, and people are like asking questions of each other, and offering suggestions to each other, and I've never seen that happen in an open class. I think the biggest thing dancing has given me, is freedom. And also a lot of learning and awareness to how far my body can go. I've slightly changed my way of thinking and point of view in the world of dance. This is the place where I've started from, and I feel this is the place I've returned to. And it really is like a very good closure. Studying here has developed my awareness to my body, and investigation and Improvisation- are things that never end. I know I'll never get to the point where I'm actually done with Hakvutza. Hakvutza. School of Conteporary Dance, Contact and Improvisation. 109 Kedem St., Jaffa, Israel. Tel:+9723-6595961, info@hakvutza.org.il