IVGI&GREBEN

Already during their individual dance careers, respectively at the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel and the Dutch National Ballet in The Netherlands, Uri Ivgi and Johan Greben successfully started their individual career as a choreographer. Uri Ivgi received the prize as Emerging Choreographic Talent from the Ministry of Culture in Israel in 1998. In 2001 he won the Audience Award for his duet ‘Longing’ at the International Choreographers Competition in Groningen, and the second prize at the International Choreographers Competition in Hanover, Germany. Johan Greben won the Encouragement Prize Choreography from the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts in 1998,  and in 1990 the Wim Barry Award for his first choreography ‘Straks. Both created various choreographies for companies, festivals and schools in Europe.

Ivgi&Greben started their collaboration with the creation of Carmen for the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company in Hungary in 2003. Since then they are creating for many companies worldwide.

Ivgi&Greben present their ideas and thoughts through an imaginative body vocabulary combined with poetic images that build and break, and touch and confront. They consider their work to be a mirror for their audience as well as themselves and so invite the audience to search for a personal reflection of reality. Using themes such as oppression, tension between individuals and groups, longing for freedom and love, and sexuality and acceptance, Ivgi&Greben create a visual world blending movement, music, light and costumes into an aesthetic of their own.

In 2011, Ivgi&Greben received The Golden Mask Award in Moscow in the category Best Choreographer-Ballet / Contemporary Dance for this Is Not A Love Song, created for the Provincial Dances Theatre in Russia. The Golden Mask is the most prestigious theatre award in Russia.

In 2014 and 2015 Ivgi&Greben worked as artistic leaders of the Rozbark Theatre in Poland. The recreation of their successful production This Is Not A Love Song was nominated as best production of the year. They also founded the festival, Rozbark in Motion combined with a training program for dancers and choreographers. Ivgi&Greben presented the Rozbark Theatre in Germany, France and The Netherlands.

Ivgi&Greben created for Ballet Junior de Geneva, Tanzkompanie Theater St. Gallen, Tanzkompanie Konzert Theater Bern, CH; National Theatre Ballet, Prague Chamber Ballet, CZ; Ballett am Rhein, DE; It dansa, ES; Phoenix Dance Theatre, Scottish Dance Theatre, Scottish Ballet, GB; Szeged Contemporary Dance Company, HU; Balletto Teatro di Torino, IT; Dansgroep Amsterdam, Introdans, Scapino Ballet NL; Wroclaw Opera Ballet, PL; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, SKR; Modern Dance Turkey, TR; Provincial Dances Theatre, RU; Skânes Dansteater, Norrdans SE.