Talia Paz

Paz is not a new name. She joined Batsheva in the early 1990s, soon after Ohad Naharin became artistic director. She stayed for three years and then left for Europe, looking for challenges of a different nature. After an intermezzo at Scapino Ballet, she settled in Cullberg Ballet for twelve years. Upon her recent return to Israel, she encountered a vibrant dance scene, fuelled by high energy, populated by creators that too often held different artistic agenda, but without a venue for her. For more reasons than one, she couldn’t fit into any of the existing dance companies.

For some she was too polished, for others too different, and she certainly was no candidate for the Ballet. Under Mats Ek’s direction she had fully developed her individual attributes, which prepared her for a certain type of solo role. She has become a great dancer who has mastered her craft – mature, level-headed with a great dramatic sense and possessing physical traits that give her an air of earthy elegance. Beyond that, she has “it” – that charisma and presence, enabling her to command the stage solo. At a recent “Curtain Up” event, Paz danced a solo by Rami Levi, a sucker for detail and finely tailored ...