Acting Our Age

An Israeli-UK co-production choreographed by Yael Flexer and Galit Liss with an intergenerational cast of performers between the ages of 24-77, the work toured to various venues in Israel and the UK including SouthEast Dance, Hull Dance and The University of Chichester’s ‘What Dance Can Do’ conference, May 2023.
Acting Our Age is interested in performers’ relationship to dance and the stage at different points in their lives. Through the lens of the world of dance in which Liss and Flexer operate, they examine the way in which age and ageing is experienced by the dancing body subjectively, phenomenologically and socio-politically (Amans 2013, Early 2013, Farmer et al 2022, Houston 2013, Houstoun 2012).

The research process delved into performers’ ongoing experiences as well as specific dances that formed their professional and personal identity. The work re-visits and references performers’ past works drawing on the body as a living archive at once personal and collective (Vionnet 2018, Carlson 2006). On-stage performers play with notions of age and identity and at times refuse to ‘act their age’. Moving between personal narrative, movement improvisation, and play the work brings to the fore questions such as: what memories are retained in the body? What is ‘danceable’? (Laermans 2015, French 2022) What is the dancers’ relationship to their changing body? What is our relation to dance and the stage in the present moment? And what is the role of the choreographer in establishing an ethics of care?

The research brings to the fore an inclusive choreographic methodology that priorities somatic and ethical values in teaching and creative practice (Barbour 2016) developing specific and detailed improvisational tasks and scores that establish an individuated and collective movement vocabulary alongside a recognisable choreographic aesthetic that is attuned to the ageing body in performance (Liss 2023, Maliphant 2020, Falmer et al 2022).

Impact and research environment
Acting Our Age activity also included work with over 3000 community and 60+ participants including online and in-studio ‘Acting Our Age’ classes conducted by Flexer & Sandiland’s artistic director Dr. Yael Flexer, and company dancers and teachers Luke Birch, Fiona Millward, Julie Ann-Minaai, Aya Kobayashi, Dr. Karen Da Silva and Hannah Martin and classes taught in Israel including Teachers’ Insets run by Bikurei Haitim, Tel-Aviv Dance Centre and, 60+ members of Galit Liss’s School for mature women. In addition, Yael Flexer curated ‘What Dance Can Do’ a one day symposium at The University of Chichester on intergenerational dance and work with 60+. The day included talks, workshops and performances of Acting Our Age as well as a community platform for intergenerational and 60+ community groups. Inviting guest speakers and workshop leaders included Dr. Sara Houston, Helen Laws & Stella Eldon (Russel Maliphant company & Encore East), Louisa Petts, David Farr (Bright Shadow-Dementia), Galit Liss, Luke Birch (Damn Fine Dance) as well as University of Chichester lecturers Virginia Farman and Jason Keenan-Smith (Three Score Dance). In addition Flexer & Sandiland have released Youtube tutorials based on Acting Our Age funded by Arts Council England and free to the general public targeting 50+ community participants.

Community engagement and research environment
Acting Our Age activity also included work with over 3000 community and 60+ participants including online and in-studio ‘Acting Our Age’ classes conducted by Flexer & Sandiland’s artistic director Dr. Yael Flexer, and company dancers and teachers Luke Birch, Fiona Millward, Julie Ann-Minaai, Aya Kobayashi, Dr. Karen Da Silva and Hannah Martin and classes taught in Israel including Teachers’ Insets run by Bikurei Haitim, Tel-Aviv Dance Centre and, 60+ members of Galit Liss’s School for mature women. In addition, Yael Flexer curated ‘What Dance Can Do’ a one day symposium at The University of Chichester on intergenerational dance and work with 60+. The day included talks, workshops and performances of Acting Our Age as well as a community platform for intergenerational and 60+ community groups. Inviting guest speakers and workshop leaders included Dr. Sara Houston, Helen Laws & Stella Eldon (Russel Maliphant company & Encore East), Louisa Petts, David Farr (Bright Shadow-Dementia), Galit Liss, Luke Birch (Damn Fine Dance) as well as University of Chichester lecturers Virginia Farman and Jason Keenan-Smith (Three Score Dance). In addition Flexer & Sandiland have released Youtube tutorials based on Acting Our Age funded by Arts Council England and free to the general public targeting 50+ community participants.

Credits:
Choreographers: Yael Flexer & Galit Liss
Composer: Karni Postel
Dramaturge: Nataly Zukerman
Performers: Luke Birch, Sarah Dagan, Yael Flexer, Corrie McKenzie, Fiona Millward (Orit Gross, & Tirtza Shpanauff-Many original cast)
Original Lighting: Rotem Alroy
Creative Producers: Lou Rogers & Alina Feldman
Photos: Eli Passi

Funding & in-kind support: Arts Council England, South East Dance, Hull Dance and The University of Chichester, The Association of Choreographers, Kelim Choreographic Centre, and Tzahalla Community Centre, Israel.