.It’s better not to write anything about a work that is called nothing

Roy Assaf is a mammal of the hominid family, belonging to the species Homo sapiens, although there are those who are convinced he possesses Neanderthal genes. He was born in 1982 in the rural community of Sde Moshe in a place that some call Israel, and some call Palestine. He broke his front tooth at the age of five while dancing on the slippery floor of his family home. At age six, he began giving tap concerts for his neighbor, who watched him dance on his concrete balcony from her window across the yard. From 1990 to 1996 he began creating and performing his own dances for monthly family gatherings in Jerusalem.  At the age of 16 he met Regba Gilboa, an educator, dance lover, and believer in people who rooted in Roy the confidence that dance is where he belongs. Two years later Roy was drafted into the Israel Defence Forces, where with a vest, helmet and a rifle on his shoulder he danced through his 8-hour checkpoint shifts. In 2004, he met Emanuel Gat who introduced him to Schubert and for whom he wore his first dress. 

In 2010, after three years in France, he came back to the place that some call Israel and some call Palestine. And after one year of idleness, he gathered the courage to make a dance… after which he created another one and another… and another… and continues to this day.

Choreography, stage and costume: Roy Assaf

Artistic Associate: Ariel Freedman

Dancers: Avshalom Latucha, Avidan Ben Giat, Ella Gill, Gary Reagan, Gilly Geva, Inbar Buchbinder, Romi Cohen, Naomi Ben David, Tal Adler Arieli, Tomer Giat

Light Design: Yair Vardi

Decor construction and tree design: Studio Wid

Music Production & Editing: Reut Yehudai

Singing: Reut Yehudai & Osnat Harel, Idan Haim David, Nir Karmazin, Eviatar Omsi, Aya Assaf

Music: Yamasuki/ Aisere I Love You, Kim Jung Mi/ Haenim, The Beach Boys/ Barbara Ann, Britney Spears/ …Baby One More Time, Madonna/ Express Yourself, The Doors/ Touch Me, Gnarls Barkley/ Crazy, Beyonce/ Crazy In Love, Nat King Cole/ L-O-V-E, Whitney Houston/ I Will Always Love You, The Tokens/ The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Queen/Don’t Stop Me Now, Jennifer Warnes, Bill Medley/ (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, Joe Cocker/ You Are So Beautiful, Michael Jackson/ Dangerous, The Turtles/ Happy Together, Mina/ Ta-ra-ta-ta, Queen/ We Are the Champions, Salt-N-Pepa / Push It, R. Kelly / I Believe I Can Fly

Stage manager: Roni Argaman

Length: 60 min

Gornisht’s origins are in the work “Nothing” which was created for TanzMainz and premiered in November 2018.

 Deepest gratitude to TanzMainz dancers Eliana Stragapede, Daria Hlinkina, Jorge Soler Bastida, Benoît Couchot, Mattia de Salve, Cornelius Mickel, Nora Monsecour, Tijana Prendovic, Marija Slavec, Matti Tauru, Louis Thuriot, John Wannehag, and Madeline Harms, who were part of making Nothing.