Strange in ’26

In 2000, Noa Dar created Strange out of curiosity to know what goes through the mind of a spectator sitting in the darkness of the hall, trying to decipher hidden codes and bridge attraction, repulsion, and the longing to take part in the event. With writer Yosef El-Dror, the spectator’s thoughts were brought to light, creating a multi-layered and humor-filled dialogue between the physical expressiveness of the dancers and the spectator’s reflections voiced out loud, between the secret, personal experience of the individual in the audience and that of the performers.

A quarter-century later, in a changed reality and from within a different system of expectations and sensitivities, Strange in ’26 observes the contemporary interplay between audience and performers, examining the effects of time on them and on dance itself.

With performers Moshe Schechter Avshalom, who encounters *Strange* for the first time, and Michal Mualem, who returns to the role she performed in 2000, a living laboratory is formed that investigates themes of memory, reconstruction, and change, situated between what has passed and what continues to pulse in the present. Strange in ’26 is relocated to an intimate studio space, in a setting that offers viewers and performers a partnership in a mutual observation of the “strange” occurring in the space between them.

Noa Dar – A dancer and choreographer who has created a rich, original, and groundbreaking body of work in collaboration with artists from diverse creative fields. Her works focus on the contact zones between the body and the fabric of its physical and social environment.

Since returning to perform, her body serves as another arena to examine concepts such as memory, temporality, and transformation.

Dar creates across a broad spectrum of forms, scales, and spaces through continuous exploration, within the framework of the “Noa Dar Dance Group,” which she established in Tel Aviv in 1993.

Her works – Come Lie Down, NoaNoa, Skin, Anu/Us, Arnica, Tetris, Children’s Games, and many others – have been commissioned and presented on leading stages and festivals in Israel and around the world.

The recognitions she has received include the Award for Young Choreographers and the Performance Award for Dance Ensemble – from the Minister of Culture, the Rosenblum Performing Arts Award from the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, The Dance Creation Award form the Minister of Culture and the Landau Performing Arts and Sciences Award from the Pais Council for Culture and Art.

By: Noa Dar

Text: Yosef El-Dror

Performers: Michal Mualem, Moshe Schechter Avshalom

Actor in Video and Soundtrack: Gal Zaid

Performers in Video: Assaf Shatz, Ilaya Shalit, Maya Brinner

Sound and Video Editing: Talia Ben Em

Costumes: Rosie Kanaan

Stage Manager: Mor Yaron

Lighting : Haggai Shlomov

Stills Photography: Tamar Lamm

Graphic Design: Dorit Talpaz

Media: Leticia Bolo

Premiere: February 13, 2026, as part of “Friday at Ora” (Shishi B’Ora), Suzanne Dellal Centre – Artistic Director: Nomi Prelove

The performances are supported by the Pais Council for Culture and Art.