Barak Marshall, a rising star in contemporary dance, makes his UCLA Live debut with Monger, an emotionally charged physical-theater work for 10 dancers at Royce Hall Friday April 15 at 8p and Saturday April 16 at 9p
Marshall's movement is physical, sharp, fast, contains ethnic-contemporary motifs and is known for being highly emotive, visual and theatrical. The score combines elements of Gypsy, Balkan, classical and rock music.
With Monger, Marshall explores the dynamics of hierarchy, power, free will and the compromises one makes in order to survive through the story of a group of servants trapped in the basement of the house of an abusive mistress. The piece’s narrative structure is drawn from several sources including the life and work of Bruno Shultz, Jean Genet’s play The Maids and Robert Altman’s film Gosford Park. Monger was originally commissioned by Suzanne Dellal Centre, premiering there October 25 2008 and also opened the International Tel Aviv Dance Festival that year.
Last January, Marshall won the first prize in the in the first-ever Los Angeles-based “The A.W.A.R.D Show,” a New York Joyce Theater Foundation program dedicated to nurturing new work, discussion, exploration and creativity in the dance community. For the past six years the A.W.A.RD.—Artists With Audiences Responding to Dance—program has been actively connecting working dance artists in an open dialogue with their audiences in events across the country.
Marshall was one of a dozen Los Angeles choreographers to compete for the audience-voted prize of a $10,000 grant to develop new work. He showcased excerpts from a his latest piece, Rooster, which was commissioned by the Suzanne Dellal Centre and the Israeli Opera and premiered at the Israeli Opera House in Tel Aviv in November 2009.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Marshall is the son of acclaimed dancer, choreographer and musician Margalit Oved. Marshall studied social theory and philosophy at Harvard University and immigrated to Israel in 1994. He currently divides his time between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles Since his accidental entrance into dance in 1995, Barak fast established himself as one Israeli dance’s most innovative and unique voices. Barak’s first work Aunt Leah won first prize in Suzanne Dellal’s 1995 Shades of Dance Choreography Competition. The work was also added to the repertoire of the Inbal Dance Theater Company. Shortly after, Barak began touring abroad, appearing in the prestigious Roma Europa and Arci Milano festivals to rave reviews. In 1999 he was invited by Ohad Naharin to become the Batsheva Dance Company’s first house choreographer, a position he held for two years.
In 2007 Marshall was asked by the Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership to create a new choreographic/dance course. As artistic director of the program, he established a partnership between the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures, the UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance and the Suzanne Dellal Center. The program is now in its fourth year. In 2008 Barak was a guest lecturer in choreography and composition at the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures.
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