KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 17, 2017

New KSU Dance Theater presents Israeli dance production

The Department of Dance at Kennesaw State University will present “Horses in the Sky” by Israel’s Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. at the Dance Theater on the Marietta Campus. This world-renowned Company is the first for KSU Dance in presenting a series of professional companies at the new Dance Theater.

“Horses in the Sky,” which premiered in 2016 at the Sydney Opera House, uses powerful physical vocabulary to juxtapose a surrealist sense of dreams and an impending apocalypse, according to Ivan Pulinkala, founding director of the KSU Department of Dance.

“This performance will be the first time the world-renowned KCDC performs in Georgia,” Pulinkala said. “One of our goals with our new KSU Dance Theater has been to provide an appropriate venue to launch a professional presenting season that will bring to Atlanta world-class dance companies and choreographic artists.”

“Horses in the Sky” is choreographed by KCDC’s artistic director Rami Be’er, who was born in 1957 to a family of Holocaust survivors.

The KCDC will also host a master class with KSU dance students on Wednesday, following the evening’s performance.

The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company was founded in 1973 by the late Yehudit Arnon, who survived World War II in the Auschwitz death camp, and moved to Israel to establish Kibbutz Ga’aton in Western Galilee. Today, Kibbutz Ga’aton is home to world-renowned KCDC, known for its compelling movement vocabulary, technically virtuosic performers, and inventive artistic voice.  

“The Division of Global Affairs is particularly proud to support this international performance by the world-renowned Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company,” said Lance Askildson, vice provost for Global Affairs and chief international officer.

“Under Ivan Pulinkala's leadership,” Askildson said, “the Department of Dance has provided striking example of the transformative power of global engagement, and its role in educating, professionalizing and inspiring our students.”

– Robert S. Godlewski

Photos submitted by Eyal Hirsh

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About the Department of Dance

KSU is home to the largest collegiate dance program in Georgia, and Atlanta’s only state-of-the-art theater built specifically for dance. Four successive national invitations by the American College Dance Association to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., distinguish KSU as a leading dance program in the Southeast. Over the past five years, Pulinkala has established a strong presence for the program in Israel, with an annual Dance Study Abroad in Tel Aviv, and a host of visiting Israeli guest artists.

About the KSU Dance Theater

The state-of-the-art facility is the only one of its kind in the Atlanta area built specifically to serve the technical and performance needs of dance. Opened in March 2017, this 450-seat facility is intended to serve as a home for dance in the region, providing professional standards of dance flooring, lighting and AV technology. A unique contemporary aesthetic makes the quality seating, carpeting and interior design of this facility unlike any other in the region. The grand drape is distinctively unique in its visual appeal and technical functionality. The KSU Dance Theater is located just 15 miles north from downtown Atlanta.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.