“I’m from the generation that moved to Suzanne Dellal, we were called the Curled, because all the men in the Company had curls, except for blond David Dvir. In my time it was common to combine two roles in the Company. In order to make a living they used to offer more positions, and that’s how double positions were created such as dancer and teacher, or dancer and rehearsal manager.
At the age of 27 I went for the first time in my life to a ballet class, at Batsheva 2 on Hahaskala Boulevard, with Nira Paaz. I’m from Kibbutz Afikim and I learned with Oshra Elkayam Ronen and later danced with Emek Hayarden Dance Company, managed by Shlomo Haziz, and the Bnei Meshakim Brigade Company of the Ihud, choreographed by Yair Vardi. I’ve always danced, but I didn’t continue to professional dance. In the kibbutz the important thing was how you worked and what your contribution to the community was, and even though I was backed, the decision to dance professionally wasn’t an easy one to make. There was a stigma that dancers were gay, but I knew who I was. Only after I got married, had a daughter and studied physical education at Seminar Hakibbutzim, did I finally go dancing. I was 28 years old when I was accepted to Batsheva 2 and moved to the Company, when Ohad came from New York to work on Ino stress, and asked to work with me. The first time I performed with the Company was on Troy Games, and the performance was in my kibbutz, Afikim. Batsheva was my dreams coming true.”
Shai Gottesman, Dancer and Production Manager, 1982-1989