"At age 63, without an inch of fat on his body and with a newly grown mustache, internationally renowned dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday to discuss his new project "In Paris," which will be staged Monday in Israel. The production, which will have eight performances at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv, was organized by the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York and an experimental theater run by Dmitry Krymov in Moscow. Krymov directs, while actors from his theater, including Anna Sinyakina, perform alongside Baryshnikov. The acclaimed dancer, who visited Israel last year as a guest of the Suzanne Dellal Center is excited to return, this time as the lead actor on stage. In fact, he sounds absolutely in love with Israel as long as you do not discuss politics with him. "I have fond memories from my last visit," Baryshnikov said. "It was an extraordinary experience." Did any groups pressure you not to come here- "No, not at all. I am really happy to be here. Israeli audiences are wonderfulvery warm and loving." Apart from the Israeli public and the local dance scene, Baryshnikov returns especially for the capital city, Jerusalem, which he says is magical. "This time I arrived early and I got to spend several days in Jerusalem and it was an unforgettable experience, quite unusual. I found a city where the sky meets the earth and stones. I experienced a historical moment and I got some insight for myself and for others." The play "In Paris" is an adaptation of a short story by Russian Nobel Prize laureate Ivan Bunin. The story centers on two Russian immigrants who meet in Paris of 1930. He is a retired general in the Russian army and she is many years his junior. Their love story ends with the death of one of the characters, leaving the other to continue living a lonely and hopeless life alone. "It is a story about loneliness that can occur anywhere in the world," Baryshnikov said. "It is a Russian story by a Russian writer and featuring Russian actors, but this time we have a Finnish group in addition to actors from New York and Moscow, and for me the story could take place in Tokyo, Moscow or Buenos Aires. This is first and foremost a play about people, about lost individuals." When asked whether he prefers dancing or acting, Baryshikov said, "It is the same for me. I have no preference. For me, those two things are not so far apart. Dance and theater both concentrate on body language and inner thoughts, and a duet on stage with an actress is no different than earlier duets I danced with other dancers. When I am on stage I do not ask myself, 'Am I an actor? A dancer? Who am I-' I stop and work according to my instincts and those of my partner on stage and the way in which we are directed." When the issue of politics comes up, Baryshnikov takes a step back and chooses not to express an opinion. "I will never allow myself to advise anyone here," he said. "I do not live in Israel, and I have no right. Maybe one day I will understand the deep complexity of reality here. I admire this country and love the people who live in it, but it will take me a long time and I will be lucky if I even live long enough to understand the complex security issues of the Israeli reality."
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