Arnica collects and presents 17 short solos (ranging from 1-5 min.), created over the period of a decade. Putting these solos side by side enables a retrospective vantage point which examines difference, opposition and similarity with respect to both movement language and content, negotiating between an inner world and the world outside.
“Arnica” is performed by Noa Dar and two dancers who have worked with her over the last years, Michal Mualem and Noa Shiloh, joined by musician Uri Frost, who collaborated with Dar in previous creations, including: “In a Dark, Dark Land” (Israel Festival, 2003) and “Tetris” (Acco International Fringe Theater Festival, 2006).
The solos composing the evening are taken from Dar’s works: “Achilles’ Tendon” (commissioned by Curtain Up in 1999), “Strange” (commissioned by Curtain Up in 2000), “Water Music” (commissioned by the Kibbutzim Chamber Orchestra in 2006) and “Arnica” (commissioned by the Israel Festival, Jerusalem, 2007).
“Arnica by Noa Dar becomes a fascinating touching dance evening, which succeeds to make these series of solo excerpts into a full complex, multi-layers creation that deeply touches the routes of dance and at the essence of the dancers’ art, who flourish in this performance like the Arnica flower that produces the healing miracle remedy for their wounds. Thus, “Arnica” turned from being an individual private creation, to a performance that heals the spectator who yearns for his personal dance experience.” (Zvi Goren, Habama online. Dec. 07)
“Arnica excelled with an enchanting body language, beautiful performance execution and thrilling music. There is pleasantness in the dancing of the 3 dancers, in the differences between them, in the straight forwardness they relate to the music and space. It is impossible to lay a hand on what the three dancers bring from them selves to the stage, from the strength of their beauty and the frankness of their rich dance language.” (Gabi Aldor, “City Mouse Online”, Dec. 2007).
“Arnica, Noa Dar’s new creation, is a chain of beautiful solo dances that possessed refinement and artistic maturity. It is a deep dance of dancers with a life experience. Each solo is built thoroughly and it is possible to follow the clever moves in the development of the movement’s scale. The performance execution arouses pleasure. The 3 dancers, including Dar herself, possess a high quality technique. Dar, which was absent from stage for a few years, kept her ability and was renewed.” (Ruth Eshel, “Ha’aretz”, Dec. 12, 2007).
“Although she hasn’t been on stage for years, Dar seems to be in excellent shape. She managed to portray her idiosyncratic language with great charm. Michal Mualem and Shira Rinott – fine dancers in their own right – contributed their own colors as interpreters of Dar’s lexicon. Arnica is meticulously choreographed and Dar was empowered, funny, devilishly daring and totally contemporary.” (Ora Brafman, “Jerusalem Post” , March 12, 2008).
“Arnica” is a performance full of drama: in its facial expressions, in movement, in the dynamic between the participants. In the end, you exit with a sensation of catharsis and a feeling of spiritual elevation”.
(Mart Parhomovski, “Yediot TLV”, March 08).
“I already forgot how exciting a dive to a dance performance can be, it uproots the verbal dialogs and gives the stage to the body and the music to not only flirt with us, the spectators, but also to compel us to ask questions and to check for answers. It is possible to open a window to our souls and to touch places that stayed locked up most of the time, an enchanting performance!” (Hani Davidor, “1909” Website, Dec. 2007).
