The acclaimed Israeli choreographer Inbal Pinto stresses that “through the body, we tell what is beyond words.”
Creator of a specific form of theatre dancing, Pinto has crafted a career spanning over 30 years in contemporary dance, leaving a lasting artistic legacy in Israel and the world. In 2021, she was invited by Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre in Tel Aviv, to take part in an innovative production. This collaboration gave birth to the performance “Living Room” which will be presented in Cyprus in the framework of the 24th Contemporary Dance Festival.
The choreography is a surrealist tour de force, exploring the unpredictability of our everyday lives, tailored to the techniques of two uniquely individual dancers, Pinto’s long-time collaborator Moran Muller and dancer/choreographer Itamar Serussi.
Interview with Yiorgos Savvinides.
What themes does “Living Room” cover?
I prefer to leave this question open to the interpretation of the audience. I find that the more eyes that look at the work, the more interpretations it has and that I don’t need to explain the work, because it speaks for itself.
What do you want audiences to take from the performance?
When I create a dance, I create a structure within which one can play. A structure that anyone in the audience can pour their own story, feelings and emotions. The interaction between the work and the audience is a process that allows the work to grow and develop. My personal interpretation becomes irrelevant because the work belongs to the viewer.
Why do you think many people are suspicious of the fluid identity of people, situations and objects? How could we reassure them?
The definition of the work was formulated out of a desire to express the feeling that nothing is taken for granted. And that the reality we try to create for ourselves may at any moment be undermined and the obvious becomes blurred and takes on a new form.
Art allows observation of the reality in which we live, sometimes it opens a window for different perceptions, in a way that gives us reflection on our thoughts, expands our perceptions and sometimes allows us a new point of view.
Do you always start with the same basic questions?
Not at all. The dynamism of life raises new questions, new forms and expressions. As a creator, I try to touch new and unfamiliar areas every time, and also what life brings with it. And the creative process is the discovery and breakthrough of topics that occupy me on a daily basis. I start each time from a different key / conceptual nucleus which is the end of the thread that leads to the journey of discovery.
Are there any other subjects you are curious to experiment with in the future?
I am nourished by life, by everyday life, by human movements, and also by nature and contact with materiality and colour and traditional arts. I am mostly drawn to a nostalgic look, but I am also curious to see how my work meets issues and changes that the world produces.
What role does narrative play in your work? Do you have a preference for, thematically cohesive projects?
I have a tendency to tell stories, to produce narrative moves. But I start from gut feelings and not from a definite idea. The “story” is built during the creation, it is slowly built from definitions that are sometimes abstract.
What is the human body for you?
Through the body, we tell what is beyond words. This is my way of expressing myself and touching feelings and emotions that words cannot express. The body is an archive of life, of experiences, feelings, emotions and forms. He is the link between the outside and our inner world.
What is the “superpower” of choreographers?
I have never felt this way, it is difficult for me to answer this question.
I rephrase the question: What special characteristic do you think a choreographer should have?
Every creator has different motives for creation and different characterisations. The common denominator is the need and desire to express oneself through the body. Personally, I see it as an endless game where the body is the main means that allows me to express my ideas.
What is the boldest choreographic risk you have ever taken?
My desire to reach new areas in every creative process is risk-taking. I’m looking to tread in areas I’m new to, and little by little I’m finding how to create a route in a place I’ve never trod before. There is a feeling of losing the way, the dedication to the intuitive process allows me to discover new areas in the creation.
Would you say dance is undergoing a transitional period at the moment?
I think that in every era there are changes that take the art to a new journey of discovery, testing and perhaps undermining the existing. I believe that as long as a work manages to touch the viewer, whether it is innovative or traditional, it has a place on the stage. Art allows us to introspect on ourselves, and that will never change.
INFO: 24th Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival, “Living Room,” June 17, Limassol, Rialto Theatre, 8:30 pm, 77777745 (Free transport from Nicosia).