In 1982, my second year at Batsheva, a new initiative was launched by Moshe Romano and Robert Cohen: to give a fresh boost to young Israeli choreographers—preferably dancers from within the company. Without overthinking, and by deeply listening to my inner voice, I took on the challenge. I submitted a proposal to the company’s artistic directors.
I recalled a long-standing desire from my high school days to create a dance based on the book Lord of the Flies. I titled the piece “The End of Innocence.”
After receiving their approval, I turned to the gifted musician Shosh Reisman to compose the music. I sat with her, imagining the dance in my heart and conveying my ideas. At the same time, I began intense and exciting rehearsals with my colleagues, who were then the company’s young dancers. Four men portrayed “the herd,” two female dancers embodied the negative and positive leaders, and another dancer, Nira Tarfon, played Piggy. I chose not to perform, focusing instead on the choreography.
We premiered the works on a festive evening at the Ohel Shem stage. The decisive day arrived when it was determined which pieces would enter the company’s ongoing repertoire. “The End of Innocence” was selected as one of them.
One of the most vivid memories from that time was the dance’s first performance at the Jerusalem Theater. I recall a heated argument between the artistic management and the dancer portraying the “negative leader.” Following the dispute, she left, and I suddenly found myself without a lead dancer. You can imagine the emotions that flooded me and the terrible pressure of deciding what to do.
David Dvir, who was then a dancer and involved in company decisions, encouraged me to step into her role, and I immediately agreed. We went into several hours of intense rehearsals with the help of the rehearsal director at the time, Siki Kol.
I remember standing on a chair while David Dvir altered the costume to fit me—it had been several sizes too big. The challenge was significant, as there is a vast difference between creating a dance and performing it. Fortunately, I quickly gathered myself and rose to the occasion.
From then on, I continued to perform the piece, touring with it across the country and abroad. Later, I was able to create additional works, “A Dream in Doubt,” “Neighbors,” “The First Day of the Rest of My Life,” and “This Sky, This Land”, all of which became part of the company’s ongoing repertoire.