I just read Deborah Friedes’ most recent post and then listened to the podcast of her interview with Israeli choreographer and dancer Renana Raz. The above video is an excerpt from Raz’s Kazuaria, a piece that, according to Raz, puts the “masculine energy” of the Druze debka folk dance (usually danced by men) into female bodies, with the result being a “very physical piece”. In the interview, Raz says that she is highly influenced by Israeli folk dance, and likes exploring how people physically express themselves and come together through folk dance.

I definitely see how Raz incorporated the debka dance in Kazuaria, particularly in the last twenty seconds or so of the clip, where the focus is on the dancers’ footwork and moving as a unit while holding hands. Raz’s interest in blending folk and contemporary dance is really innovative, and I think that the rhythm and powerful dancing in this short clip from Kazuaria is striking. I’d love to see the entire piece.