Liza Mitchell
Art exists in everything. The Aluminum Show tests that theory by creating a fanciful multi-sensory universe from the silver tubing used in common air conditioning systems. It’s basic but beautiful, tapping into the collective audience imagination to breach the gaps within their own individual experience. Written and directed by Lior Kalfo, The Aluminum Show combines material, music, and movement into a magnificent visual bewilderment of one man’s journey to a futuristic parallel universe made entirely of aluminum. The Aluminum Show comes to Jacksonville for a single performance November 6th at the Times-Union Center Moran Theatre.
“It’s like a fantasy show where you go into a magical world of material and music and dance and even some visual theatre,” says Liran Chernov, a member of the Israeli-based performance group. For such a heavily choreographed production, the aluminum tubing provides a flexibility that is required for such movement. It’s also visually appealing. It’s been scientifically proven that people are attracted to shiny things. That’s why Chernov says the material is ideal for constructing a universe that will entice audiences to step inside. “We build life from it,” he says. “We create a world with animals, creatures, babies are even born in the show. We have an astronaut who is landing somewhere, and he’s beginning to see all of the creatures, people, and things that are in this magical world of aluminum.”
“You can build life from everything. You take even the leaves that fell off the tree and create a life, build a show, make something beautiful. You don’t need big things.”
Chernov says the Aluminum family is one big traveling ensemble of dancers and performers that shift seamlessly into various roles. Each artist is cross-trained so they can inhabit the skin of any character at any given time. The interactive nature of the show also translates to audiences in any language. “Sometimes we are the creatures, sometimes we are the animals. We are combining everything into one piece,” he says. “You need to open your mind. Something that you may see, the person sitting next to you can see something else. It’s really interactive with the audience. You will understand it when you see the show. We can travel around the world and everyone can be in the show because there is no one language that everyone speaks. It’s just what you see and what you imagine with the things you see in front of you.”
“You need to open your mind. Something that you may see, the person sitting next to you can see something else.”
While The Aluminum Show continues its journey, Chernov says he is grateful to be part of a company that brings joy so many miles from home. There is a cumulative pride in sharing a product that speaks innately of their homeland. It’s important to allow the cast to demonstrate the beauty and passion of Israel. “From nothing, we’ve created something so big that it’s traveling around the world,” he says. “And this is just one thing. There are many, many more things.” The process is intense. The hours are long, and space is at a premium when you’re locked into a tour with the same people for weeks on end, but even so, Chernov says the return makes everything worthwhile.
“You don’t need big things. You can take the smallest things, like the air conditioning tubes in the ceiling, and make something no one ever thought of before from your imagination. From nothing you can do everything and that is really amazing.”
“We are all dancers and we are all working together as an ensemble. It’s very fun to travel and get to know more people and more places. There are a lot of rehearsal and a lot of practices. It’s not easy to be stuck with each other. It’s hard but it’s fun. It’s really important that we like each other. It’s hard to survive when we are 7,000 miles from our own country, but we believe in what we do. We love The Aluminum Show, and we want to give that to the audience,” Chernov says. “You can build life from everything. You take even the leaves that fell off the tree and create a life, build a show, make something beautiful. You don’t need big things. You can take the smallest things, like the air conditioning tubes in the ceiling, and make something no one ever thought of before from your imagination. From nothing you can do everything and that is really amazing.”
With only one night in town, be sure to catch this dazzling work on November 6th. For more information on a chance to win tickets to The Aluminum Show visit the EU Jax Contest page. To purchase tickets visit The Artist Series.
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