Rami Be'er

BE'ER, RAMI (1957– ), dancer, choreographer, and artistic director of the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. He was born into a family of musicians in kibbutz Ga'aton in Israel. At a very early age, he began studying cello and later studied dance with Yehudit Arnon. Be'er joined the company as a dancer and choreographer in 1980.

His choreographic style is influenced by Central European expressionism and American modern dance. Generally, his works take up a full evening's program and are constructed as a collage around a central theme. His themes are connected to the reality in which we live and his choreographies reflect the tension between abstraction and expression. Reservist Diary (1989) reveals the ethical uncertainties of an Israeli soldier in the reserves during the Intifada. In Real Time (1991), Be'er deals with the kibbutz movement as the parting of ways. In Angelos Negros (1992), he addresses the Spanish Inquisition. In Naked City (1993), the dominant motif is the loneliness of the individual. The theme of Aide Memoire (1994) is strongly influenced by Be'er's being a member of a family of Holocaust survivors. The set and lighting designs are usually Be'er's own creations. In On the Edge (1999), the stage is designed as a huge fortress, and in Screensaver (2002), rays emitted by a television set are part of the production. He was awarded the Contributor to Cultural and Educational Creativity Prize in 2000.

Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.