ABOUT
Shirly Simon Barbie is an independent Israeli-French choreographer and dancer, whose work has been presented internationally.
Shirly’s first work was a full length theater performance called Sane. The play was written by Roni & Arnon Maman and performed by Alexa Lerner. This piece was one of many collaborations Shirly had with the musician Or Maza. The play premiered in 2017 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, In front of members of the Israeli Association for Mental Health. After that it ran for two years at the Hasimta Theater in Tel Aviv.
In 2019 Shirly created a solo piece called Do You Love Me? in which she’s also performing.
The work was presented for the first time at the 23rd International Solo-Tanz-Theatre, Stuttgart, Germany, and received an award for choreography.
The piece appeared in festivals and productions in Italy, Austria, Israel, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, and USA.
In 2021, Shirly received a residency from Sally Anne Friedland- SAS studio and a support grant from the Fund for Independent Creators by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in Israel. With that support she created MAITRI.
MAITRI is a 35 minute long duet, performed by Shirly Barbie and Yuval Aviram. The piece appeared at the “Inbal Ethnic Center”, Artists’ House TLV, and the Fresco Dance and Culture Hub as part of “Cultural Station #1”, Israel.
In 2022, Shirly created the gallery event Movement Exhibition in collaboration with “Artists’ House” Tel Aviv.
For this event, she also created Prologue, a dance and performance solo piece for the dancer Maya Yahav.
During that time, Shirly was invited to create for the “Joining Tools” festival, under the artistic direction of Gil Alon.
Close Up is a site-specific work, created together with the video artist Guy Dagan, and in collaboration with the cinematographer Yakir Meir Peretz.
Shirly worked as a dancer and co-creator with the following choreographers:
Sally Anne Friedland, Stefano Puda, Yoram Carmi, The Israeli Opera House, Oded Ronen Choreography, Gil C. Harosh, Yael Orni, Tal Garmiza, Noa Atar, Nima Yacovi and Michal Ben Lior.
She collaborated with many video artists, theater directors, performance artists, musicians and actors.
In addition, Shirly operated as an artistic consultant for companies such as “Tararam” and for the independent choreographer Roni Sagi, for whom she also did rehearsal management and dramaturgy work (“Victoria” 2023).
In her work in the theater Shirly collaborated with the following directors:
Rakefet Binyamin, Hadar Galron, Gil Alon, and Alon Oppenheim.
She created choreography for plays that were performed in the national theater “Habima”, “The Cameri”, “Tmuna” Theater, “Tzavta”, performed at different festivals, and received multiple awards.
Shirly’s creations reflect the language of BODYMIND.
BODYMIND is a philosophical approach and practice that connects the body, the mind, consciousness, spirit, and movement.
Accordingly, the movement language of BARBIE Dance Theatre is characterized by emotional and physical totality, and the explosive presence of the dancers.
BODYMIND ’s practice is learned by dancers from Israel and abroad, teachers from multiple movement disciplines, senior practitioners and wider audiences.
Awards:
2019 Received an award for choreography from the 23rd International Solo-Tanz-Theater Festival, Stuttgart, Germany, for the piece “Do you love me?”
2018 First prize “Autumn Theatrical Festival”, Tsavta theater, TLV for “This one shall be called a Woman”. Directed by Rakefet Binyamin. Choreography by Shirly Barbie. Written by Yonathan Calderon.
2017 “Golden Hedgehog” (Kipod Hazahav) award in the “Actor of the Year” category to Yoav Donat, in the play “Liselotte In May” by Jolet Pojgai. Director: Alon Oppenheim. Translation: Tamar Hanna Shtaierman Balouka. Movement by Shirly Barbie.
2013 Honorable Mention “Small Stage Festival” for “Under the Skin”. directed by Rakefet Binyamin. Movement by Shirly Barbie. Written by Yonathan Calderon.
Grants:
The Fund for Independent Creators, Ministry of Culture and Sports, Israel 2021
Residences:
Studio B, TLV
Sally Ann Friedland- SAS studio