Anat Danieli presents her personal conception of movement material as something existing in a state of transformation. Like ice, water, and vapor, movement material undergoes various phases, therefore, it is not ephemeral or disappearing, but a substance that remains embedded in the body and carries both physical and emotional memory. Danieli reflects on power dynamics between her and dancers and expresses ambivalence about “dictating” movement material, a practice that can sometimes be perceived as authoritarian. Yet she argues that unison can actually produce a profound sense of freedom: each body expresses its own uniqueness against a shared backdrop, like an identification lineup. She articulates a unique process in which the choreographic work “wants to be born,” while she prepares the appropriate “vessel” for the work to emerge.

In her reflection, Dr. Lior Avizur offers a theoretical and philosophical reading of Danieli’s approach. She highlights Danieli’s view of choreographic works as a priori entities, “works that already exist in the world”, a stance that challenges historical conventions of dance’s ephemerality and asserts choreographic sovereignty. Avizur points to how Danieli revives older materials and disrupts conventional relations between time, body, and memory. In doing so, she raises new questions about freedom and collaboration between creator and dancer, illustrating how contemporary dance navigates between liberation and authoritative structures, documentation and transience, and life and memory.