DANSGROEP AMSTERDAM

BIOGRAPHIES

Dansgroep Amsterdam

Choreographers Krisztina de Châtel and Itzik Galili have decided to launch a new dance company in Amsterdam from 1 January 2009 onwards.
Dansgroep Amsterdam presents itself as an urban dance company which on the one hand focuses on the artistic development and continuation of the work of the two choreographers, and on the other hand aims to develop and perform new dance productions and projects by the artistic directors, guest choreographers and young creators.
Premiere on March 26 in Amsterdam with choreographies by Krisztina de Châtel, Itzik Galili, Monique Duurvoort, Mark Baldwinb

Krisztina de Châtel artistic director

Hungarian-born Krisztina de Châtel is driven by a rare urge for innovation, while remaining true to herself. Her performances, which are often set in unusual (outdoor) locations such as the Van Gogh Museum or the Dutch dunes, combine dance, music and visual art and provide a full evening’s entertainment. She is open to new cultural developments and frequently seeks to collaborate with other artists like performance artist Marina Abramović. She has also initiated projects with new media and virtual space, skate boys, garbage men, dervishes and various other striking combinations.
In Krisztina de Châtel’s dance performances two worlds collide as fragile bodies are confronted with natural elements such as wind, earth and water. But there is also a struggle within the body itself as passion and control fight for supremacy.
In the last few years there have been significant shifts in this style and in Krisztina de Châtel’s vision of dance. For while the dancers’ technique and the work’s composition remain important, she reflects on the philosophical implications of the performance: what it says about the Zeitgeist and the world we live in. Krisztina de Châtel’s productions increasingly reflect her views of society, be it in abstract form.

Krisztina de Châtel is a prominent choreographer who distinguishes herself with a unique oeuvre of a consistent high quality. Under her leadership Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel became one of Holland’s leading modern dance companies with an exquisite dancers’ tableau. The autumn of 2008 was dedicated to Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel’s 30 years jubilee and that of its artistic director. The jubilee production Giubileo also meant the farewell of Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel. In January 2009 Krisztina de Châtel and Itzik Galili started a new contemporary dance company in Amsterdam: Dansgroep Amsterdam.

Over the last 32 years choreographer Krisztina de Châtel has made more than 50 choreographies and two dance films. She is also a great coach for young choreographers and gives them a chance to produce their own work, till December 2008 with her own company, and since January 2009 with Dansgroep Amsterdam.

Krisztina de Châtel is the recipient of the Sonja Gaskell Prize and the Choreography Prize of the Dutch Association of Theatre and Music Hall Directors. In recognition of her contribution to the Dutch dance field she was awarded the Prize for a choreographer’s oeuvre by the (2000) Nederlandse Dansdagen and, in 2001 de Châtel was knighted in the royal order of the Nederlandse Leeuw. In 2002 the Circle of Dutch Theatre Reviewers honoured her with the ‘Prijs van de Kritiek’. In December 2008 she received the Frans Banninck Cocq Penning from the city of Amsterdam for her merits as a choreographer in relation to Amsterdam.



Itzik Galili artistic director

Awarded:

o The VSCD Choreography Prize, 2002
o VSCD Nomination for Best Production season 05-06
o Knighted in the Netherlands on the royal order of “the House of Oranje Nassau”, 2006

Tel Aviv born Itzik Galili was first introduced to dance through traditional Israeli folk dancing in his late teens. On a friend’s recommendation he introduced himself to teacher and former principal dancer of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Nira Paz. Following a relatively short time of study in ballet and contemporary dance Itzik, showing typical headstrong temperament, presented himself at the Bat-Dor Dance Company. He worked with this company for 2 years and then moved on to the Batsheva Dance Company.

In 1989 Robert Cohan, the then artistic advisor of the Batsheva Dance Company, encouraged Itzik to attend the Gulbenkian – International Course for Professional Composers and Choreographers in the UK which he was directing.

In 1990 “Double Time” was created and Itzik embarked into a professional art world of which he is now considered “a master of space and timing of bodies.” (Michelle Mann, Dance Europe). This same year saw “Old Cartoon” winning the originality prize at the Gvanim Choreographic Competition and in 1991 Itzik moved to the Netherlands and formed his own project based company.

“The Butterfly Effect” won the Public Prize at the International Competition for Choreographers in Groningen in 1992 and Itzik went from strength to strength. In 1994 he won the Final Selection Culture Award (Phillip Morris), for exceptional talent and contribution to dance and culture in the Netherlands.
In 1997 he was nominated by the Ministry of Culture as Artistic Director of a newly founded and publicly supported dance company to be based in Groningen: NND/Galili Dance.

To date Itzik has built an oeuvre of more than 50 works showing a pioneering diversity – including: Earth Apples (1992), Between L… (1995), Fragile (1997), Beautiful You (1999), For Heaven’s Sake (2001), Mono Lisa (2003), ME (2004), Hikarrizatto (2004), Exile Within (2006) and the culmination of his fascination with duality in Galili Dance’s 10th Jubilee production: Heads or Tales (2007).

As well as creating for his own dancers Itzik has created for and worked with many other companies including: Stuttgart Ballet, Ballets de Monte Carlo, Bayerisches Staatsoper Munich, Gulbenkian Ballet, Scapino Ballet, NDT II, Batsheva Dance Company, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Royal Finnish Ballet, Bale da Cidade de Sao Paulo, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Diversions Dance Company, Norrdans, Rambert Dance Company, Diversions – Wales, Cisne Negro and Het Nationale Ballet.

Itzik is keen to nurture upcoming choreographic talent from within his company. He supports his dancers towards being creative individuals and independent thinkers. He has often included work by talented youngsters in his programming. He was also director of the Groningen International Competition for Choreographers in 1998 and 1999. Itzik maintains a healthy relationship with the Rotterdamse Dansacademie (Codarts) by engaging apprentices to work on an equal level as his dancers within the company. This was taken to a magnified level for the 2007 production Heads or Tales which saw a co-production with the Academy and 10 apprentices joining Galili Dance for a 7 month period.

Lighting plays an integral role in Itzik’s works and his interest in this medium has led him to design the lighting for the majority of his works. He has also received commissions from fellow artists. Itzik has collaborated on dance films for television including “A Sense of Gravity” (2002 commission for BBC2 – UK) and “Come Across” (1996 commission for NPS – Nederland).


“Galili’s art lies in his capacity to balance abstraction and narration with finesse, creating works that impress themselves strongly upon us. He is one of only a few choreographers working in the Netherlands today who can structure a fragile equilibrium between humour, aggression, lyricism, sex and elegance”
(Michael A. Kroes – Ballettanz International, March 2007)

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