The short film Studio Visit with Iris Erez is available to watch at the top of the page.
Iris Erez, a revered choreographer and dancer, crafts contemporary dance performances steeped in human emotion and vulnerability. The hallmark of her work lies in her exploration of domestic life, an area she navigates with acute sensitivity and an eye for intricate detail.
During the rehearsals for her performance piece I’ll Be Right Back, I had the privilege of speaking with Erez. This production is a remarkable collaboration between her, media artist Dr. Daniel Landau, and dancer-creators Ayala Frenkel and Ofir Yudelevich. The performance seeks to expose the erosion of the private sanctuary of home by the relentless invasion of the public sphere through social media.
Frenkel and Yudelevich, partners off-stage and on, brilliantly engage the audience in their battle to shield their relationship from this ceaseless external interference. Their performance is an evocative portrayal of the challenges of maintaining intimacy in a world saturated with noise and distraction. The dance narrative is peppered with touching motifs, such as the recurring theme of a vain quest for someone who, while physically present, remains elusive or hidden.
One striking aspect of the performance is the depiction of the disquieting sense of disconnect felt when sitting beside someone engrossed in their phone, a potent symbol of our digitally distracted era. The couple grapples with these distractions, oscillating between forceful and gentle attempts to hold onto each other, sometimes even seeking refuge in each other’s clothes. Their performance expertly underscores the paradoxical tensions, desires, and complexities inherent in romantic relationships in the digital age.
In the accompanying video, Erez sheds light on her artistic approach and her exploration of the ‘e-motion’ of the body through dance. Erez’s work stands as a testament to her ability to harness dance as a language to communicate the complexities of human experiences, revealing a poignant commentary on contemporary life.
The featured video Studio Visit with Iris Erez is part of the web series Yotsrim by Shachaf Dekel. Yotsrim includes five seasons and 73 episodes. The series won the Best Documentary award at the NYC Web Fest in 2019.
