14 shows and 27 artists define the third edition of Fluorescent Festival in Jerusalem

The Fluorescent, Vertigo Jerusalem festival opens on Monday, November 8, and continues until November 13. The event presents 14 performances by 27 artists across five days. Venues include locations in Jerusalem and the studio at Kibbutz Netiv Halamed-Heh, which is home to the Vertigo dance company. The program features contemporary dance, circus arts, performance art, and music.

Yasmin Gariv, the festival's founder and artistic director, is 26 years old. This is her third year programming the annual event. The festival began when Gariv, then a young choreographer, faced repeated rejections from other festivals. A friend suggested she create her own platform. Through a connection with her high school teacher, Sigal Rot of Vertigo, Gariv secured the use of the company's studio. They staged a small number of evening shows without expecting a large audience. The name Fluorescent was derived from the studio lighting used for those initial performances.

Gariv's co-founder stepped away after the first year. Gariv continued the project, defining it as a platform for young artists. She specifies that young refers to professional experience rather than age. The festival targets performers who have not yet presented work at Israeli festivals or built a substantial resume. Support from the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Foundation provided the financial footing for the project to expand.

The event has grown to three times its original scale. It now includes outdoor performances alongside indoor shows. Gariv has shifted the festival from a dance-only event to a multidisciplinary format. This change reflects her own transition into circus art. She notes that Israel has many gifted contemporary circus artists but lacks a dedicated festival for adults. She argues that the physical demands of circus, which shifts burden from the legs to the arms, offer a unique appeal to audiences.

Gariv performs with a metal hoop weighing 9 to 10 kilograms. She recently traveled to South Korea for an engagement earned through the annual international dance showcase at Tel Aviv's Suzanne Dellal Centre. That showcase features Israeli artists before festival directors from around the world. Gariv previously spent two years with an Italian dance company. She states that the events of October 7, which occurred just over three years ago, added depth to her movements. She describes the festival's studio settings as allowing spectators to see dancers' sweat and feel the floorboards tremble.

The program includes a dance workshop open to the public, a salsa slot, and an outdoor salsa show. Several brand new works will premiere, selected by an artistic jury from video submissions. This selection process aligns with the festival's mission to provide emerging choreographers with their first major opportunity. Gariv believes the field needs younger artistic directors alongside veterans to keep the discipline fresh. She asserts that Israeli dancers are among the best in the world, noting their frequent presence on international festival programs before October 7.