Fascinating, emotional, painful, dynamic, rough, and tender... these are the adjectives critics have used to describe the dance performance "Grand Finale: The Turtle and the Phone Booth" by the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc from Rijeka, which will be visiting the stage of the Croatian National Theatre Split on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, May 27, 28, and 29. The new creation by Israeli choreographer Nadav Zelner, one of the most sought-after young choreographers today, was produced in co-production with the national theatres of Rijeka and Split as part of the K-HNK – Consortium of Croatian National Theatres.
"In an overcrowded universe full of distractions, everyone wants to return to their familiar and comfortable corner. My career prevents me from settling in one place for a long time. Therefore, at this stage of my life, I am forced to create temporary homes every time I travel and work in a new place in this world. In my new work 'Grand Finale,' I confront the consequences of this way of life and the sacrifices I make to expand my voice and share my passion with the world," said Zelner, one of today's most sought-after young choreographers. The dance spectacle Grand Finale brings to the stage a generational story about the search for home, full of emotions, all set to the rhythm of an unusual musical collage: from Marcello Giombini, Sepultura, Deep Purple, Ennio Morricone... to Metallica.
Nadav Zelner was born in 1992 in Ramla, Israel. Over the years, he has formed a unique dance language and has recently begun developing his own dance technique, which he aims to make accessible to the whole world. He creates works for dance troupes around the world. He has choreographed for the ballet company of the Staatsoper Theatre in Hannover, Germany, for the Batsheva Dance Company, Gautier Dance Company, St. Gallen Theatre, Stanislavsky Ballet, Augsburg Ballet, Introdans, Stadttheater Bremerhaven, and the Chinese International Ballet Company Chongqing. At the invitation of prima ballerina Ekaterina Shipulina from the Bolshoi Ballet, Nadav created a solo for her titled "Ikra." He has a great passion for cinema and enjoys creating short dance films. In 2019, one of his films led the artistic director of Eurovision in Israel to commission Nadav to design and choreograph the concept of dance postcards. In the 2021/2022 season, he created "Frederic Superstar" for the Salzburg Ballet, and the world premiere of "Bedtime Story" at NDT marked his debut with that renowned company.