Emanuel Gat: «Rite of Spring», «K626»

His shaved head, pronounced brow, his piercing eyes and warm smile, make for a disarming combination of looks and intention. In no uncertain terms, the Israeli-born choreographer is making people take notice. At 37, Gat is gaining international recognition for his choreographic work. In his new­est evening-length work for 11 female dancers, “K626,” Gat turns to Mozart‘s solemn and spiritual “Requiem“ in D minor, and infuses it with hip-hop moves, while his “Rite of Spring” works with a sensuous salsa transforming the thundering opus. Dissonance? Perhaps.

Though Gat‘s magic in taking on masterworks of classical music is that he doesn‘t use Schubert or Stravinsky in a decorative manner – rather, he evokes poetic resonance. A visionary project that Gat has launched in the town of Kiryat Gat (no relation) in the Negev Desert is also turning heads. He views The Kiryat Gat Choreographic Center as a laboratory for dance-makers from Israel and abroad. The space is set to open in 2010.

On the grounds the famed Jacob‘s Pillow Dance Festival, in Massachusetts, delicate notes of a Delibes score emanate from a studio where the extraordinary Suzanne Farrell is rehearsing her Balanchine dancers. ...