Translation

DANCES OF SPAIN

SILVIA DURAN IN A RECITAL PROGRAMME

By Dr. Emil Foyerstein

Most of the shows in the artistic field which have been presented lately are
disappointing because they go down to the level of the audience which demands
entertainment at any price and are ready to accept any compromise in order to
reach this goal.  One is only rarely surprised to the good.

And here such a pleasant surprise was given us lately in TZAVTA where a new
immigrant by the name of Silvia Duran was performing.

The name of the performance "Dances of Spain" awakes our curiousity as in this
field there are no compromises.  The dances of other countries and nations
are possible to learn with ease, but not so with the Spanish dance.
Their performance needs knowledge, tradition, constant and perfect practice,
style, poise, proper dress, extraordinary physical prowess, holding of the body,
use of castanets, the most precise timing and musicality and more .........

We told ourselves that the evening would be a complete fiasco and then we
would take ourselves quickly from the venue at the first opportunity .  We went,
even so, because the hope rested in our hearts, that perhaps we would see,
notwithstanding, a worthwhile performance.

This time optimism fully triumphed.  We saw a dancer who, since the days of
Antonio and his Company, the likes of whom has not performed in Israel.
Before us a mature artiste, responsible, who watches over with the greatest
care, not only the details, but the details of the smallest details.

One feels immediately that she learnt her art on the spot - in Spain itself -
remaining there for many years, as completeness and perfection such as hers are
not obtained in a short period of time.

In Spain each region has its own dance and Miss Duran gave us a dance typical
of the Navarre Province.  She gave in her wonderful performance different styles
of Spanish Dance.

The first dance in the second half touched our heart.  In it the artiste tried to
interpret a Jewish theme by her own choreography.  The name of the dance:
"A Jewess during the time of the Marranos" to the music of Pablo Luna.  This
theme is known to us and there is no need to go into special detail.  The Marranos
were Christians externally and Jews internally.  The artiste tried to convey this
sensitive theme through movement and succeeded perfectly.  We must thank her
for this special effort, as the Jewish artistic dance has disappeared and there is
not an artiste in the world who has gone into this field.

Her performance is made up of six dances - three in the first half and three in the
second.  Each dance is different - one from the other in style and entertainment.

However, in the performance of Silvia Duran there is nothing that mars any one
of them.

Spain was thought of, already in Roman times, as the classic land of the dance,
and the Spanish dance was enriched during the passing of the generations by
different and varied folk elements while keeping the typical character.  In the
Spanish dance the whole body takes part, not only the hands and feet.  All the
body serves the impulse of the performance in keeping with the scale of feeling.
The movements are at times full of thunder and slow, and sometimes quick and
very exciting.  In the Spanish dance there is also pantomime and this is from a
Roman tradition.  Here, once again, a culture does not disappear in the course of
time without leaving signs here and there.

In the performance of Silvia Duran there is nothing to criticize, just to admire
and thank her for a full and complete artistic evening with maximum care to each
movement, on the holding of the body and the expression of the face.  We must
specially mention the rich and beautiful costumes, each fitting to the particular
dance and giving a special pleasure to the eye.

We must thank Tzavta and especially the "Sadna for Immigrant Artistes" who
made possible this performance to which we would like to continue to attend in
another programme which undoubtedly is in the repertoire of this great artiste of
the dance, a Jewish artiste of the first and highest calibre - Silvia Duran who will
undoubtedly enrich the cultural life of Israel.