Private I’s
Work for two dancers and two musicians.

Seeking a part-time hero. Preferably a man. Preferably flexible. Prior experience a must. Candidate to have full control and professional demeanor. Licensed to operate heavy machinery. To start immediately.
(duration: 24 Min.)

Collaborating dancers: Uri Shafir, Ofir Yudilevitch
Live original music: Noam Inbar, Adam Scheflan
Costumes: Hagit Abir
Lighting: Tamar Orr
Rehearsal Director: Sharon Zuckerman
The work premiered at Curtain Up Festival 2010, and received support from the Dance Department of the Ministry of Culture.

From The Press:

“ Dana Ruttenberg’s Private I’s stood out, a duet for two men – Ofir Yudilevitch and Uri Shafir. With them on stage are two wild musicians, in the best term of the word – Noam Inbar and Adam Scheflan.

At first, the two men stand in a circle of light screened onto them. They are both dressed in tuxedos and bow ties and look like two decent businessmen on their way upwards, but in fact these are testosterone-filled competitors who live in a bubble where appearance is everything.
An entire episode is dedicated to their initial encounter; one reaches his hand out to the other, and he answers with a friendly shove on his chest and thus begins a whole dance of hand gestures made of all the high-fives, friendly slaps and smacks ever put together on one stage. Ruttenberg knows her way around the subtleties of the world of male codes, and from it she draws choreographic gems with humor, grace and sharp stage instincts.
Parallel to the competition and connection between the men, there is a hidden competition between the dancers and musicians, on the audience’s attention. At times, these win, and at others, these, and in retrospect – the real winner is the audience.”
(Ora Brefman, Dance Talk)

Private I’s by Dana Ruttenberg operates on the double meaning of its title. What the eyes sees is not necessarily what is before it. Therefore this male duet has other fecades, where the homo-eroticism derives merely from the positioning of two, similar-different, side by side, in movement that shifts between teasing plays on high-fives and eroticism. Ofir Yudilevitch and Uri Shafir, with the music of Noam Inbar and Adam Scheflan rise to this challenge well.”
(Zvi Goren, Habama)

Private I's from Dana Ruttenberg on Vimeo.