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Jew-Arab Dance: Interview with Hillel Kogan / L1danceFest
The newest piece of the Israeli dancer-choreographer Hillel Kogan is a political satirical performance, questioning the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is one of the invited participants of the L1danceFest (Budapest, 2014. 07. 17-21. Mu Theatre, BAKELIT M.A.C., MOM Cultural Centre, Jurányi Art Incubator House, CEU), he will perform on 20th September (at MOM Cultural Centre). We were asking him about his working experiences.
This will be your first time in Hungary. What do you know about the country?
I know very little about modern Hungary. I know that Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I know that there is a Gypsy minority in Hungary, and I know that the country used to be a part of the communist satellite states of the Soviet Union.
I know that csárdás is a traditional Hungarian dance.
Can you describe shortly the piece you are bringing to Budapest?
“We Love Arabs” is a political satirical dance-theater piece, which tells the story of a Jewish choreographer who works with an Arab dancer, and together they are trying to create a piece with a message of co-existence and of peace between Arabs and Jews.
You were awarded “Outstanding Creator of 2013” for this piece, by the Israeli Dance Critics Circle. You’ve performed it in many countries and cities with a considerable success, too (in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany and U.S.A.). What do you think; why critics say it is your best choreography?
I think this piece is more successful than my other pieces, because it deals with a very “hot” subject, both in Israel and worldwide. It is also giving a different point of view on “political art”. Usually “political art” is very serious, and my piece deals with very serious subjects with humor and irony. Maybe this is why it is accepted in a very positive way.
It is interesting for me to see how audiences react in a different way to the same piece. I am learning a lot about it, and about the point of view of the non-Israeli public. Since my piece deals with the local issue, the conflict between Arabs and Jews, with Israeli audience, I feel a very strong reaction. The audience outside of Israel is more distant, observing the piece with distance, but I think that they can also feel that it has to do with everybody’s life in our world: we all deal with conflicts between nations and with issues of ethnic minorities. This piece is also about racism, and unfortunately, racism is quite a universal phenomenon.
I like to be on stage, I enjoy performing and I enjoy making people laugh and think. I am open to all kind of reactions from the audience. People are free to interpret my pieces as they wish, to hate it or to like it. It’s their own responsibility, what to do with it.
When I was asking you about your artistic statement, you told me, that „Every art piece is political, even if it doesn’t intend to be.” Do you mean that art pieces are political in sense of influencing other people on civic or individual level?
I meant that in every art piece you can find the political point of view of the artist.
I believe that art has very little political influence on people actually. I don’t think that many people change their political view after seeing a dance piece or a theater piece. Political institution has very strong influence on art as well. If money is not given to the “political opposition” artists, like in the communist era for example, their opinions can not really be spread. I am sure Hungarians can identify with this, and that art was a very “restricted” matter, politically, in the communist era of Hungary.
How did you find the concept and you partner?
I had the concept for the piece in my mind for a long time before I started working on it. It has been a long while that I wanted to create a piece dealing with the Jewish-Arab conflict.
I found the partner, Adi Boutrous very easily. He was my dance student few years ago, and he is the only Arab dancer I know in Israel. In general there are very few Arab dancers in Israel, although the Arab population in Israel is 20%.
We understood each other very well. Not every Jew and Arab in Israel has conflicts. There are many Jewish people, like me, who are willing for a better future between Jews and Arabs, in Israel and worldwide. There is some collaboration and friendships between Arabs and Jews in Israel, in many fields: arts, education and politics. Usually the international media shows only the conflicts, so people not from Israel think that there it is only war between Arabs and Jews, but it is not right.
You intend to create performances which are physical, but also intellectually stimulating. What is your relation with the ‘conceptual dance’?
I have no opinion about that at all. I believe that artist should do whatever they feel they have to do. Even if I, as an audience, don’t enjoy most of the things I see in dance, theater or art. I have no “opinion” about conceptual art.
Besides dancing, collaborating and creating within the Israeli independent dance scene, since 2005 you are the Rehearsal Director of Batsheva Ensemble. How does this activity influence your work?
I learn a lot from the excellent dancers I am working with, and I learn a lot about art, body, composition, and more, form Ohad Nahrin, the director of Batsheva, who is one of my masters in dance.
Right now, what do you think, what is your biggest challenge in your work?
To have the courage and energy to start creating a new piece, and to make sure it is a good one!
Sándor Zita