Go Figure
Sharon Fridman Company

  Thursday 21 Nov
  19:30 h
  16 y 18€
MUN Theatre
 

Choreographer Sharon Fridman arrives at MUN with her latest production 'Go figure', starring two dancers with functional diversity. An invitation to get to know the rhythmic and movement patterns of other bodies.

From the search for a space where the otherness of the body with functional diversity expresses and enhances its nature, arises the possibility of creating a duet between the dancers Shmuel Dvir Cohen and Tomer Navot. Shmuel has a neurological condition based on involuntary muscle contraction ('dystonia'). In his work, the focus of interest is not the adaptation to an alien, normative movement dynamic, thus circumventing the barriers offered by a situation of dysfunctionality; rather it is the opposite, the assumption and celebration of a movement of one's own, often unpredictable, almost always challenging, and beautiful in that it is true, in that it is true to itself. 

The show, of great poetic beauty, tries to show the communication of two people who want to listen to and support each other; to the point that the functional diversity of both performers is not an obvious aspect, but a discovery, a surprise for the spectator.

Sharon Fridman is one of the most interesting voices of the choreographic creation scene, both Spanish and international, and is the author of her own language of movement that is inspired by the mobility difficulties she has witnessed in her own mother. Thus, 'Go Figure' conveys a message of non-discrimination, equality and respect for all people, regardless of their physical conditions.
 

ARTISTIC FILE
Direction and choreography: Sharon Fridman
Assistant director: Tamar Mayzlish
Dancers: Shmuel Dvir Cohen and Tomer Navot
Original music: Luis Miguel Cobo
Lighting design: Yaron Abulafia
Set design: Tal Erez
Costume design: Miki Avni
Management and distribution: Lola Ortiz de Lanzagorta (New Dance Management)

SHARON FRIDMAN
At the age of six, he started dancing in the Israeli dance and folklore group Hora Pardes Hanna, thus beginning his life's journey in dance. Ten years later, he began volunteering at Ilanit, a hospital for mental diversity, where a working group helped patients through body mobility therapies.

In 1995 he began studying contemporary dance and dancing with Yehonatan Carmon's company at the Tel Aviv Opera House. He soon joined Ido Tadmor's company as a dancer. In 2000 he began dancing with companies such as the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and the Vertigo Dance Company, where he discovered a new body language known as Contact Improvisation. In 2003, he started working as artistic coordinator and choreographer of the company Mayumana. This is how he arrived in Madrid in 2006, the city where he settled and created his personal project: the Sharon Fridman Company.

The technical basis he uses in his works focuses on the relationship between gravity and balance, inspired by his mother, who was born with Arnold Chiari syndrome. From this technique, she has developed a new body language, the INA practice.

He currently combines the work of directing his company with collaborations as guest choreographer, artistic director and lighting designer in various companies.

SHARON FRIDMAN COMPANY
All of the company's works are based on the INA technique and are performed throughout much of the world. Many of them have received important awards and mentions, such as the Max for Best Show for Free Fall in 2015, the Max for Best Choreography for Erritu in 2019, the First Prize and Audience Award for Hasta dónde...? at the Burgos-New York Competition (2011) and the Award for Best Dance Show at the Huesca Theater and Dance Fair for Free Fall and All ways (2014 and 2017 respectively).

Among its most recent productions is Dosis de Paraíso, premiered in 2020. In 2022 the company celebrated its 15th anniversary with the premiere of a new work, Exprímeme_Life in process. In September 2023, the full version of the work Go Figure, co-produced by the Festival Oriente Occidente in Rovereto (Italy), was premiered in September 2023, where two dancers (one of them with functional diversity) will seek a balance between form and emotion.
 

SHMUEL DVIR COHEN
Dancer. Body-mind-movement therapist and facilitator of meditation spaces in movement. Performs in Sharon Fridman's creations Shape On Us, produced by Vertigo Dance Company and premiered at the Israel 2020 Festival, and the new piece Go Figure.

Shmu'el lives with a neurological syndrome that affects his ability to control the activity and movement of his muscles. He uses a wheelchair and crutches as aids and has turned their use into an art form.
 

TOMER NAVOT
Dancer, creator, dance teacher, assistant director and musician. In his work, he focuses mainly on partner and improvisation. Since 2008 he has worked with different choreographers and dance companies, such as Vertigo Dance Company, Sharon Fridman, Shlomit Fundaminski and Anna Halprin. He teaches contemporary dance (release technique), contact improvisation and repertory. As a choreographer, he has collaborated with artists such as Marija Slavec and Maya Resheff.

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