The Israeli Ballet

The Israeli Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1967 by Bertha Yampolsky and Hillel Markman. The founders led the company for 45 years, building its artistic and organizational foundations and establishing it as one of the central institutions of dance culture in Israel. The company combines classical ballet tradition with neo-classical and contemporary creation, performing in Israel and on tours around the world.

The Israeli Ballet's importance is not measured only by the number of performances it has given or the works in its repertoire. For decades, it provided Israeli dancers, teachers, and audiences with a professional framework for creating and performing ballet at an international standard. According to the archival material, it was Israel's only professional ballet company presenting works from the international classical repertoire, giving this tradition a permanent home in Israeli cultural life.

Founding an Israeli Dance Institution

The Israeli Ballet's first performance took place in Holon on January 25, 1967, with four young dancers. That modest beginning developed into a company with a broad repertoire, its own facilities, and lasting connections with choreographers and dance institutions beyond Israel. Yampolsky and Markman did more than establish a performing ensemble: they created a framework capable of training dancers and giving classical ballet a sustained place in Israeli culture.

The company has represented Israel on tours and at important festivals in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. These appearances introduced international audiences to the abilities of Israeli dancers while connecting Israeli dance to creators, professional practices, and artistic traditions from around the world.

A Significant Connection with George Balanchine

One of the most important chapters in the company's history is its relationship with choreographer George Balanchine. In 1975, Balanchine authorized the company to perform his work Serenade. In 1981, he granted the Israeli Ballet permission to perform all of his works freely. This authorization greatly expanded the company's artistic possibilities and helped establish a Balanchine performance tradition in Israel.

Works by Balanchine included in the company's repertoire have included Symphony in C, Square Dance, The Waltz, Concerto Barocco, and The Four Temperaments. Performing these works allowed Israeli dancers and audiences to encounter a defining choreographic language of modern ballet through an active Israeli institution rather than only through documentation or performances abroad.

The Classical Ballet Center and Training

The Israeli Ballet operates from the Israeli Ballet Center in Tel Aviv, which includes a large rehearsal hall with seating for 250. Alongside the company, its official ballet school, the Classical Ballet Center, has been described as the first institution of its kind in Israel. The company's work therefore extends beyond performance: it created a setting for training, practice, and sustained engagement with the professional demands of classical ballet.

The combination of a professional company and a teaching framework creates continuity between education and the stage. Students can encounter the discipline and expectations of the profession at close range, while Israeli dance benefits from an institution that cultivates technical skill, artistic discipline, and familiarity with the classical repertoire.

A Repertoire Between Tradition and New Creation

Alongside Balanchine's works, the Israeli Ballet's repertoire has included full-length classical ballets such as Onegin, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella. Presenting these works requires a substantial ensemble, prolonged preparation, and the ability to preserve a performance tradition while making it accessible to contemporary audiences.

The company has also broadened its artistic range through modern works by choreographers including Christian Spuck, Rudi van Dantzig, Jan Linkens, Lar Lubovitch, and Krzysztof Pastor. Bertha Yampolsky's work has remained an important part of the company's identity: in addition to creating original works, she choreographed new versions of The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. The addition of Itzik Galili's Post-Forsythe: Hikarizatto further reflected the company's engagement with contemporary Israeli creation.

Why The Israeli Ballet Belongs in Moreshet

The Israeli Ballet merits inclusion in Moreshet because it represents a lasting Israeli artistic and institutional achievement: the creation of a professional company, the development of a ballet school, the presentation of major works from the international repertoire, and sustained relationships with choreographers of worldwide influence. Its activity opened the world of classical ballet to dancers and audiences in Israel while presenting Israel in international dance arenas.

The company's story is also a story of cultural infrastructure. From its first performance in Holon with four young dancers, it grew into an institution combining training, performance, creation, and cultural representation. The Israeli Ballet is therefore an important part of Israel's artistic heritage and of the broader story of how a young society builds professional cultural institutions. That passage from one generation to the next, from stage to community, and from local creation to the international world is precisely why its legacy belongs in Moreshet.com.