Moshe Efrati

Moshe Efrati (1934 – 2020)

Israeli dancer and choreographer; Israel Prize for Dance laureate. Efrati was born in Jerusalem and is a sixth-generation Israeli. He studied at the Tahkemoni Religious School, and at a young age started working as a mechanic and quarry laborer. In his youth, he used dancing as body-building physical exercise, and at the end of his military service he began studying dance formally at the dance faculty of the Jerusalem Music and Dance Academy with Hasia Levi Agron. At age 23 he performed in front of Martha Graham during her visit in Israel and accepted her offer of a scholarship in her school.

Efrati studied in Graham’s New York school for two years, under some of the leading dance teachers of that time, such as Louis Horst and Antony Tudor.

Upon his return to Israel in 1964 he joined Batsheva Dance Company, where he performed as a lead dancer together with Rina Schenfeld and Ehud Ben David. At Batsheva, he choreographed his first dance pieces Sin Lieth at the Door (1969) Ein Dor (1970). In 1971, he established the Demama (“silence”) dance company made up of deaf dancers. In an attempt to find new ways to communicate with them, Efrati invented the “vibration method”, and developed it so as to include deaf dancers in his dance pieces.

In 1975, the company’s name was changed to Kol Demama (“sound of silence”), and it admitted hearing dancers. Kol Demama performed until 2001 to worldwide acclaim. It participated in international festivals and won multiple awards, including the Israel Prize given to Efrati in 1997 for his extensive artistic activity and unique contribution to shaping the Israeli dance art.

Repertoire

Until That I Arose (Reflections on Deborah the Prophetess)
Moshe Efrati
1976
Pace & Step Together
Moshe Efrati
1971
Percussion Concerto
Norman Morrice
1970
Ein Dor
Moshe Efrati
1970
Moves
Jerome Robbins
1969
Sin Lieth at the Door
Moshe Efrati
1969
Curtains
Rina Schenfeld
1969
Rehearsal!…(?)
Norman Morrice
1968
Load More
The Road of the Phoebe Snow
Talley Beatty
1968
Come and Get the Beauty of It while It’s Hot
Talley Beatty
1968
Reflections
Rena Gluck
1967
Voices of Fire
Pearl Lang
1967
Shore Bourne
Pearl Lang
1967
Blind Man’s Buff
Rina Schenfeld
1967
Cave of the Heart
Martha Graham
1966
David & Goliath
Oshra Elkayam Ronen
1966
Side Show
Norman Morrice
1966
The Mythical Hunters
Glen Tetley
1965
Sargasso
Glen Tetley
1965
Jephthah’s Daughter
Rina Schenfeld
1965
Embattled Garden
Martha Graham
1965
Saraband (from

1965
Diversion of Angels
Martha Graham
1965
The Pass (A rehearsal of Evil)
Robert Cohan
1964
The Learning Process
Martha Graham
1964
Celebrants
Robert Cohan
1964
Errand into the Maze
Martha Graham
1964

Photos

Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Linda Hodes, Yael Lavy, Moshe Efrati, Dalia Dvir, Tselila Goldstein | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rena Gluck, Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Nurit Stern, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Ruth Lerman, Moshe Romano, Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Moshe Efrati and the company | Photo: Alex Benraf
Rena Gluck, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rena Gluck, Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati, Rahamim Ron, Nurit Stern, Rena Gluck | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati, Rena Gluck, Yacov Sharir | Photographer Unknown
Dassi Hadari, Nurit Stern, Galia Gat, Gideon Avrahami, Ahuva Anbari, Moshe Romano, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Dassi Hadari, Nurit Stern, Galia Gat, Gideon Avrahami, Ahuva Anbari, Moshe Romano, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Ruth Lerman, Nurit Stern, Moshe Romano, Gideon Avrahami, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Ruth Lerman, Nurit Stern, Moshe Romano, Gideon Avrahami, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Center: Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Dassi Hadari, Nurit Stern, Galia Gat, Gideon Avrahami, Ahuva Anbari, Moshe Romano, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Alex Benraf
Ahuva Anbari, Moshe Efrati, Ruth Lerman | Photographer Unknown
Ruth Lerman, Ahuva Anbari, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Shimon Braun | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Shimon Braun | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rena Gluck, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Ruth Lerman, Rina Schenfeld, Danny Binstead, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David, Gideon Avrahami | Photo: Yacov Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Galia Gat, Ehud Ben David, Linda Hodes, Moshe Efrati, Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Romano | Photo: Alex Benraf
Linda hodes, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Ehud Ben David, Galia Gat, Linda Hodes, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Linda Hodes, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat, Rina Schenfeld | Photographer Unknown
Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Mula Eshet
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati, Ehud Ben David, Rina Schenfeld | Photographer Unknown
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Ehud Ben David, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati, Rina Schenfeld | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Ehud Ben David, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Ehud Ben David, Moshe Efrati | Photographer Unknown
Rina Schenfeld, Ehud Ben David, Linda Hodes, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat, Ehud Ben David | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Ehud Ben David, Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Linda Hodes, Ehud Ben David, Moshe Efrati, Rina Schenfeld | Photo: Mula Eshet
Ruth Harris, Moshe Efrati, Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Glenn Tetley, Danny Binstead, Rena Gluck, Ehud Ben David, Ruth Lerman, Rahamim Ron, Galia Gat | Photo: Jacob Agor
Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat | Photo: Jacob Agor
Galia Gat, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Oshra Elkayem Ronen, Moshe Romano, Rena Gluck, Moshe Efrati, Galia Gat, Glenn Tetley, Ehud Ben David, Ruth Lerman, Rahamim Ron, Ahuva Anbari | Photo: Jacob Agor
Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Arik Dichne
Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Arik Dichne
Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Arik Dichne
Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Arik Dichne
Rena Gluck, Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Jacob Agor
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet
Rina Schenfeld, Moshe Efrati | Photo: Mula Eshet