Who Are We?

The Choreographic Institute works to support, develop, and expand dance and choreographic practices. Based in Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Institute provides vital resources and opportunities for artistic development for local professional dance artists and the broader field through a structured ecosystem of residencies, creative research frameworks, workshops, mentorship, international exchanges, and discursive formats.

The first of its kind in Israel, the Choreographic Institute serves as a platform for long-term rigorous artistic research and strategic career development, prioritizing process and experimentation over product. Grounded in the belief that dance and choreographic thinking-making-envisioning have the power to transform the place(s) we live, the Institute places the dance artist at the center of the work and creates contextualized and critical spaces for them in various stages, roles, and incarnations of their careers.

Operating through a decentralized and flexible model, the Institute partners with existing institutional and independent spaces rather than maintaining a single physical venue, allowing resources to go directly to artists. The Choreographic Institute harnesses vast institutional knowledge and global networks to support dozens of dance artists each year and ensure the long-term creative resilience of the dance field.



Context
 

The Choreographic Institute was established to answer urgent structural needs within the Israeli dance landscape. Freelance dancers and dance-makers operate in a highly saturated, competitive environment that historically prioritizes immediate production over long-term artistic health, leaving a critical void in platforms dedicated to deep professional development, mentorship, and career advancement. 
 

While traditional frameworks focus heavily on the final performance, local artists are left with few meaningful opportunities to sustain their physical, intellectual, and creative practices over time.

Drawing inspiration from visionary national choreography centers and dance-research institutions worldwide, the Institute introduces a vital new paradigm to Israel. A healthy, thriving dance ecosystem cannot rely on survival tactics alone; it requires a dedicated home for creative evolution, systemic advocacy, and professional resilience. The Institute exists to build that foundation.

Background
 

The Choreographic Institute was founded by Sarah Holcman, Nitsan Margaliot, and Tamar Sonn who came together around their shared values and vision for the field, commitment to empowering and advocating for dance artists, and belief in the change-making potential of dance when done in a non-hierarchical environment. 

For almost two decades, Sarah Holcman has worked with and for dance artists. Her body of work includes being active as a dancer/performer/collaborator as well as an artistic director, curator, stage/tour manager, writer, international connection-maker, organizer, producer, advocate, and dance mom to many. She has a deep passion and expansive track record for supporting choreographers, developing and initiating supportive frameworks and opportunities for dance artists, and offering artistic and strategic thinking around how to best serve and support the dance community.
 

Tamar Sonn is a professional dancer, assistant in creative processes and initiator. Nitsan Margaliot is a professional dancer, choreographer, curator and initiator. In 2020, Tamar Sonn and Nitsan Margaliot founded The Platform for Independent Dancers in Israel, an organization creating sustainable conditions for local freelance dancers. Gathering input from hundreds of local dancers, they developed communal frameworks for professional growth and allyship across the field. The Platform initiated the PRO MORNINGS classes for professional dancers at Suzanne Dellal Centre as well as The Mentorship Program of the Tel Aviv Municipality and Perspectives From The Field, a residency for developing dance practices. 

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Together, we are working to create new platforms, programs, and collaborations in order to have meaningful and long-lasting impact on the local dance community.