ABSTRACT
Political dance, which focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Israel, is the subject of this chapter. The effectiveness of artistic activism is examined within two dances which are, each in its own way, milestones in its reference to the conflict: Reserve Diary 1989 (1989) by Rami Be’er, created for the Kibbutzim Dance Company, deals with Be’er’s experiences as a reserve soldier who served in the West Bank during the First Intifada. Quiet (2009) by Arkadi Zaides, created two decades later, is Zaides’s personal reaction to the reality of life and is danced by four men of various nationalities, artistic backgrounds and different modes of expression. Both dances use abstraction, critical and reflexive remoteness that invites reflection on the subject, on sociopolitical issues and on the connection with the reality we live in. In these works, based on conventions of Western theatrical dance, the direct, blatant and local protest, as well as the encounter between the aesthetic and political statements, and the political debate that took place in public will be examined.
