C h o r e o g r a p h y
With BFA from CalArts and an MFA from Jacksonville University, FL, Ella has been an independent choreographer since 1999. Her choreographic work and video-dances were presented at venues around the world.
Ella explores her dynamic vision of the body as a manifested vehicle of humanness, inspired by contextual multidisciplinary collaborations. Art, philosophy, anatomy, research and therapy render the negotiation between structure, aesthetics, expression, and functionality. Her creative process and teachings are saturated with experiential anatomy, images and conceptual ideas in order to evoke dialogues and encourage well-being through a complex and versatile experience.
ALL-MOST
a collaboration of dance and brain-research
ALL-MOST is a piece for 5 dancers that exist in the space 'between almost and touching”. The essence and creative process of the piece is a result of an innovative collaboration between choreographer Ella BenAharon & neuroscientist Dr. Asaf Bachrach. The two bring to the studio as well as the theater space research practices, and offer – in real time – an experiment that documents physiological and cognitive responses of the dancers as well as the audience to touch and relationships.
Between Zero and One. Between almost and touching. What is treasured within the space between an impulse, fantasy or a decision – and the mere action towards and/or the meeting point between two bodies? At what point through this space do cognitive and neural responses are evoked and (may) change the direction and intent towards, prior, and during the process of arrival? What physicality is inherent in a body that transfused with the state of almost?
Choreography: Ella Ben-Aharon • Neuroscientist: Dr. Asaf Bachrach
Dancers: Dovydas Letkauskas, Harel Grazutis, Mor Bergman, Shira Ben-Uriel, Tamar Gutherz
Music: Didi Erez • Costumes: Rosalind Noctor • Rehearsal Director: Nitzan Lederman
Light Designer: Amir Castro • Stage Manager: Mor Leedor
Technical details: 45 min. 5 dancers minimum stage of 9x9 (meters)
ICH BIN DU
Ich Bin Du is based on Ella's MFA thesis research: investigation of Infant reflexes as a base for developing a choreographic approach that seek not only to prevent the performer from falling into automated patterns, but encourage phenomenology. The return to the primal, the most origin of movement that stems from a survival mechanism, is an analogy to a process of integration between times and identities into a clear present.
The world of three characters emerges from the investigation and allows for relationships, rituals, questions, and an ongoing duality in their perception of themselves in the world.
Ich Bin Du premiered in October 2012, and since was presented in Nachmani Theater, The Gay Center Theater, Yerushalmi Theater at the Suzzane Dellal Center, and Mahsan 2 in Jaffa port. A conceptual installation was presented at ‘La Briquetterie’, Paris.
Choreography: Ella Ben-Aharon
Performance: Eyar Blumberg, Anat Greenberg, Dafna Dudovich / Shira Ben-Uriel
Original Music: Odeya Nini • Stage & Costumes: Ella Ben-Aharon
Artistic Advisor: Edo Ceder
** The piece is generously supported by the Ministry of Culture, Joshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts, 'Le Centre' in Pontlevoy, FR, and Studio Naim.
Technical Details: 38 min. / 3 dancers / Minimum stage size 8x8 (meters)
Special needs: 25 Kg of Rice
PERICARDIUM
Pericardium (the sac that encompasses the heart) stemmed from the need to understand the defense mechanisms that evoke emotional and physical creation of walls - interpersonal, cultural, and national. The piece presents a duet that exists in a modular space, weaved with video art, original music, and audience participation.
Pericardium was created as a “Trialogue” - a conversation between architecture, video, and dance - that seeks to investigate the influence of the body on the spatial environment, as well as the influence of the space on the living body.
Pericardium premiered in May 2010 at Joyce Soho, NYC, and since then has toured in the U.S., France, and Israel.
Pericardium is generously supported by the Ministry of Culture, Naim Studio, and private donors of YelleB Dance Ensemble (NYC).
Choreography & Performance: Ella Ben-Aharon & Edo Ceder
Architectural Concept: Matthias Meumann • Video Art: Adi Shniderman
Original Music: Yoed Nir, Odeya Nini • Wall Design: Nobuya Yamaguchi
Light Design: Uri Rubinstein • Producer: Shmuel Shalit
DISPLACEME
Video-Dance / Installation
Presented as an interactive installation (This=Place Me) at Intimadance Festival, TLV (2011) as well as The Conscious Body III, Paris (2014)
Dancing, filming, editing: Ella Ben-Aharon
POLAR-IT-IS
Video-Dance
Created as part of Ella’s MFA Thesis research,and was featured at ‘dança em foco’ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012)
Concept, filming, editing: Ella Ben-Aharon
Dancers: Michelle Grant-Murray, Tiffany Fish • Music: Eric Berman