Michael Getman is Dora and Zechariah's second son, who immigrated to Israel from Soviet Leningrad after a failed plane hijacking by young Jewish dissidents to escape the USSR in 1970 -" Operation Wedding."
Since embarking on the dance love story, Michael has remained on an unceasing journey, dedicated to evolving his creative work and expanding his repertoire of choreographic tools. He examines and is curious about the intricate interplay and relationship between our bodily actions, cognitive responses, the particular and the abstract, and the ability to respond to the ongoing demands of experience with a range of physical and emotional responses. He is commissioned to create and share artistic experiences utilizing various choreographic expressions. His works have been presented in multiple festivals and venues, including the Israel Museum, Suzanne Dellal Center; Age On Stage, Stockholm; Holland Dance Festival; Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris; Nowy Teater, Warsaw; Festival Internazionale Fuori, Rome; Belgrade Dance Festival; Open Look, St.Petersburg; HangarTfest, Pesaro; Festival Gender Bender, Bologna; among others.
Michael occasionally works in Theatre and Ethnography, researching and facilitating artistic expression with various communities and cultures. Currently, he is involved with the "Songs and Borders" project, tracing the liturgy, hymns, and traditional texts of the cultures and minorities in northern Israel.
Photo: Yael Venetzia
Michael teaches seminars and workshops for Bachelor's and Master's programs in leading institutions and dance centers in Israel and abroad: ZHdk ( Zurich), Chapman University (L.A.), Artez ( Arenhaim), Waapa, (Perth, Australia), Codarts ( Rotterdam), Kibbutzim College (Tel Aviv), Maslool (Tel Aviv) and more.
He began his education in a small living room with his grandmother, followed by the ballet master Rose Kassell at the Bat Dor School of Dance, directed by Mrs. Jennette Ordman.
His professional dancing career started with an invitation from Naomi Perlov to join the Batsheva ensemble. After a year, he was invited to join the leading company. He had the opportunity to develop his skills and artistry, mainly with the Batsheva dance company ( Israel) and the Ballet Freiburg Pretty Ugly ( Germany). As a dancer, he was privileged to learn and interpret works by choreographers like Ohad Naharin, Amanda K Miller, Marguerite Donlon, and William Forsythe.
Michael holds a degree of Master of Arts by Research (M.A.) from the University of Huddersfield in England. His thesis delved into using words, ideas, and gestures within contemporary choreography practice, specifically focusing on their relationship to the philosophical works of the Dutch philosopher Baruch De Spinoza.
He has been awarded choreographic prizes at the international choreography contests: - 2008 'Cross Connection Ballet,' Denmark.
- 2014 International Choreographic competition 'No Ballet,' Germany.