Choreographing the Disabled Body

By focusing on the work of the Jewish-Israeli dancer Tamar Borer (b. 1965, in 1990 was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed in both legs), this talk examines the implications of disability in Israeli society. The talk looks into ways in which disability is not a condition to overcome, but rather a starting point for radical social change. The talk explores the ways in which disabled dance in Israel creates political resistance, and how disabled experiences come to act out political agency. Hence, it raises questions such as: In what ways do the visual markers of “limited” mobility, such as walkers and wheelchairs affect sociopolitical concepts such as control, agency, and authority? What does it mean to address the political arena from the position of the disabled occupier? And how can disability challenge common perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?