On Thursday 27 July, Israeli audiences had a unique opportunity to see an extraordinary performance Witness by choreographer Věra Ondrašíková & Collective at the Tel Aviv Dance Festival. After watching it, they left in awe. The already powerful audience experience was further enhanced by the historic premises of the Suzanne Dellal Centre dating back to the late 19th century. The choreographer did not stay only with the theatrical performance, but also prepared a workshop during which professional dancers could discover their new potential.
The Suzanne Dellal Centre was already bustling before 6 o'clock. When we entered the hall at 6:30 PM, it was almost full. The lights went down and a unique show began, starring the tree, long-time friend of mankind, source of life force and oxygen. During the performance, the audience got chills down their spines. The spectacular combination of music, light and smoke left every spectator with an unforgettable experience. The audience was enthusiastic and almost all agreed that they had never seen anything like it before. The performance ended with a standing ovation.
In addition, the professional dancers had a great opportunity to participate in a two-hour dance workshop led by Věra Ondrašíková. The workshop was thematically linked to the Witness project and focused mainly on improvisation, development of individual potential and support of personal expression. The dancers tried out a choreography in which the main role was played by a tree, just like in a theatre show. Just like the performance, the participants left the dance workshop full of experience.
We would like to thank our partners Smartwings, Suzanne Dellal Centre, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague, the State Culture Fund of the Czech Republic and AV MEDIA.
Photo: Vojtěch Brtnický/Czech Centre Tel Aviv
