Credit Andree Lanthier

Launched four years ago as the joint initiative of the Suzanne Dellal Center and the Israeli Opera with the Tel Aviv Municipality, this year's festival will bring twelve international dance companies for 34 performances, including premieres from South Africa, South Korea, and China alongside those from the US, Canada, France and Israel.

Performances at Suzanne Dellal will include the Accrorap Company from France with Little Stories.Com, created by Algerian choreographer Kader Attou. The company performs hip hop dance that combines Arabic-Andalusian music with French-Algerian hip-hop. Korean choreographer Shin Chang Ho will present the internationally-acclaimed hip-hop inspired No Comment, performed by 10 male dancers.

There will be a focus on dance from South Africa this year, with dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo performing in Carmen, a work for 12 dancers. Arriving from Belgium for a first performance in Israel will be Eastman, the dance company of Flemish- Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. There will also be a special performance of dance classics by eight American dancers, stars of the New York City Ballet and American Dance Theatre.

Performances of Israeli companies will include the Maria Kong Dancers Company premiere of Miss Brazil; Barak Marshall's internationally-acclaimed Rooster; Rami Be'er's new work Transform performed by the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, and Bill, the latest dance piece created by Batsheva Dance Company's Sharon Eyal.

Performances at the Israeli Opera - TAPAC include Sutra by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's dance company, in which 17 monks perform, accompanied by live music. Spanish dancer-choreographer Miguel Angel Berna, who first performed in Tel Aviv Dance 2007, returns with a new work Goya and the National Dance Company of Spain performs Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet from Canada will perform Carmina Burana and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre returns with Revelations and three additional works never previously performed in Israel. During their stay here, the visiting companies will also conduct workshops and master classes for Israeli students of dance.
www.israel-opera.co.il ; www.suzannedellal.org.il