‘A Group of’ is a group task. In body and voice, word and song, we return to materials from childhood life in a group, touching and feeling our way in the darkness of place and time. The darkness of back then, the darkness of our time. Out of the joy of play and rhyme emerge the horror of the night, hidden and overt violence, contradictory ideas, and the solitude of the one, joint body. Like a compulsive, relentless thought that chases sleep away as the children turn in their beds, the work is taken over by an overcharged activity, compulsiveness, disquiet, and agitation.
Michal Samama is a choreographer and performer. She creates works at the intersection of dance, theater, and the visual arts, moving between the stage, the gallery, and the public space. She recently exhibited her artwork at the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, ‘Batsheva Hosts’, ‘Tel Aviv Dance Festival’, ‘Kelim’ Choreography Center, International Exposure, International Dance Week, Love Art-Make Art, The Center for Digital Art Holon, Tmuna Theater. In past years Samama presented her work at the Petach Tikva Museum of Art (Solo show), Sommer Gallery, Manofim Jerusalem Contemporary Art Festival, Curtain Up festivals, Intimadance Festivals, Diver Festivals, and many more. Her work was presented in numerous spaces in New York and Chicago, including: The Chocolate Factory Theater, Judson Church, New York Live Arts, Aspect Ratio Gallery, EXPO CHICAGO, 6018 North. Samama received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Choreography, Concept, Writing: Michal Samama
Performers: Karmit Burian, Omer Uziel, Kim Teitelbaum, Moshe Shechter Avshalom, Isaac Chocron, Keren Carmon
Artistic consultation: Tal Yahas
Text and Vocal consultation: Hadas Pe’ery
Lighting Design: Tamar Orr
Costumes and Production: Darya Efrat, Michal Samama
Camera and Video Editing: Natasha Shakhnes, Oriana Weich, Nir Weiss, Daniel Pakes, Ophir Ben Shimon, Asya Skorik, Noa Simhayof Shahaf
Outside eye: Darya Efart
Graphic Design: Micky Matalon
Thanks: Kibbutz Beit Nir Archive, Kibbutzim College of Education, Arnon Rabin, Yuval Kremnitzer, Samama family.
The work was created with the support of: The Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation, The Choreographers’ Association, Suzanne Dellal Center, Kibbutzim College of Education, Bikurey Ha’Itim Dance School.
