SIMPLE ACTION

Taking, giving, holding, letting go. “SIMPLE ACTION” lives up to the promise of its title. A simple plot opening up infinite possibilities of empathy and engagement. The interactive performance centres on an iconic image of human history revolving on catching an enervated body, on laying down and opening up. The performance itself becomes a moment of communality, as Yasmeen Godder has already proven with her overwhelmingly sensitive choreography “Common Emotions”. Within a single sequence of movements, the audience moves closer to themselves, as individuals and as a group, whilst asking for empathy, understanding, identification and the momentary experience.  Inspired by medieval hymn “Stabat Mater”, which sings about Mary under the cross with the words “the mother stood pained”, singer Tomer Damsky’s musical interpretation produces its very own mundanely hypnotizing version of a ritual of empathy.

Yasmeen Godder spent her youth in New York, studied at the local Tisch School of the Arts and took in punk influences before returning to Israel. Her research is dedicated to alternative means of movement as well as composition and presentation formats. She has been touring globally as a freelance choreographer since 1997 and won the acclaimed “Bessie Award” for her production “I Feel Funny Today” in 2001, which was followed by numerous international awards. She teaches and hosts events with the Arabic-Jewish community in her Jaffa-based studio, which is at once research and production venue.

Duration: 60 min.