Pushing Boundaries with Galit Liss

Galit Liss is an independent choreographer and dance movement researcher, and the founder and artistic director of Gila School of Movement and Stage Art. Galit creates with mature women aged 60–88, many of whom are non-dancers. Her works have been presented at festivals in Israel and abroad. As part of her artistic and social agenda, Galit aspires to push the boundaries of contemporary dance beyond the acceptable perceptions and stereotypes in society and rethink the relevance of any – and every – body. She works to create an artistic space for ageing women and promote the idea of life in a society that enables self-realization and development in the older body. For the past 18 years, Galit has been developing the GILA methodology – a unique movement and choreographic practice that explores the performative presence of the mature body through its physiological aesthetics. Through this long-term practice, she is recognised as a pioneering voice in expanding the visibility and artistic presence of older women on stage. Galit leads GILA workshops internationally for diverse communities, professional dance artists, choreographers, and educators. She lectures at conferences worldwide, exploring the connections between art, society, and artistic and social agency.

Galit Liss is the recipient of the prestigious Rosenblum Prize for the Performing Arts by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality in the category of Artists with Promising Achievements for 2022 and was chosen as one of the ‘Heroes of the Year’ for 2022 by Keshet (Israeli Channel 12) and Mifal HaPais (The Israeli Lottery). She is a member of the Independent Choreographers’ Association, a graduate of the ‘Artists for Social Change’ program 2008 from Musrara School of Photography, Media and New Music, and holds a M.Mus from the Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem

EncoreEast is a performance company of older dancers. We are ambitious in promoting creative, artistic and performance innovation and excellence. We commission professional artists to teach class and workshops, make new work with us, and generate new understandings about dance and older people. Presenting positive images of age, we blur boundaries between professional and community practice.

EncoreEast co-curate HOST with DanceEast; a biennial conference celebrating Dance and Age. We began a national conversation interrogating themes that affect older dancers. The conversation was carried forward at both Ageless Festival, Yorkshire Dance and Elixir, Sadler’s Wells. It revealed a desire by participants to engage in projects that offer rigour, fostering environments that promote extended learning throughout our whole lives. We are curious about how high-quality creativity promotes wellbeing and through practice we are exploring how and why this happens.