Israeli dancer to perform work based on Jackie Kennedy at Beth Shalom
“The Suit” centers on first lady Jackie Kennedy’s 1962 televised tour of the White House.
What if you took a moment of American presidential history — say, a tour of the White House by the first lady — and applied it “to places less than presidential?”
That’s the central premise behind “The Suit,” a creative work of dance, text and performance by Israeli artist Ori Lenkinski. La Roche University is partnering with Congregation Beth Shalom to host Lenkinski for a performance of the aforementioned solo followed by a question-and-answer session at Congregation Beth Shalom on Monday, April 17, at 6 p.m.
The performance is free for the public to attend.
For Lenkinski, a dancer trained in New York City who also is a journalist for The Jerusalem Post, “The Suit” centers on first lady Jackie Kennedy’s 1962 televised tour of the White House, right at the height of the Kennedy presidency and perceptions of “Camelot.” The Beth Shalom performance will be the piece’s American debut, following Lenkinski’s recent residency in the Czech Republic.
“‘The Suit’ creates a sort of, I would say, humorous contrast or contradiction,” Lenkinski told the Chronicle. “Most Americans have a good sense of who Jackie Kennedy was — so it’s going to be really interesting for people in the U.S. to take it in.”
In the piece, Lenkinski, clad in a bold pink suit, says the details of Jackie Kennedy’s life and her own are blurred together — and that’s intentional. Both women worked as journalists. Both were wives and mothers to two children. And both can be described as highly ambitious.
“She resonates for me for a lot of different reasons,” Lenkinski said. “It speaks to the balancing act that women have to do in society.”
Maria Caruso, founding director of Bodiography in Squirrel Hill, admits she “fell in love” when she first went to Israel about five years ago for the Karmiel Dance Festival. The Karmiel Dance Festival liked her solo, “Metamorphosis,” so much that it brought Bodiography back to Israel in 2019.
While in Israel, Caruso was interviewed by Lenkinski for a piece in The Jerusalem Post. After the interview, they met in person, and Lenkinksi showed Caruso a film of her work.
“She was a ball of great energy and positivity,” Caruso said. “I said, ‘I would love to do something with you – what it is, I’m not sure yet.’”
Inspired by her work, Caruso asked Lenkinski for her input as she was developing the sequel to “Metamorphosis,” called “Incarnation.”
“[I said] I want to talk to Ori and learn and be inspired,’” she said. “It was a new dynamic I hadn’t been involved in.”
When Caruso heard Lenkinski was performing in New York City this spring, everything fell into place at Congregation Beth Shalom.
“I’m super excited — it’s finally happening!” Caruso said. “I think the community will really love it.” PJC
Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
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