“Each person is individual and unique, the ability to connect to the internal self with passion and openness creates the artist within.”
Early life and training
Though born in New York City, Nadine Bommer spent most of her childhood in Rishon LeZion, Israel. The drive to create dance productions has been ever-present in her life, and Bommer began creating when she was still just a child. Following her amateur productions for family, friends, and neighbors, Bommer was invited to head the student production at her school when she was only 11 years old, and then again in junior high and high school. She received a scholarship from the mayor for her impressive work as a child choreographer/director, and was invited to teach dance to a local group of students following the show produced in her junior year of high school. Intermittently throughout her childhood, Bommer traveled to NYC with her mother, studying dance at the American Ballet Theatre School and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School while there. As a young adult, Bommer focused on teaching dance. At the age of 21, she opened the first in a series of successful dance studios in Israel. With her established school and developing choreography, Bommer began to codify the technique and artistic philosophy that now sustains her career and choreographic work.
Career
Bommer began her career as an educator, opening her first dance studio, Ketzev Hagoof, in 1990. Ketzev Hagoof still teaches dance to children throughout Israel, offering classes at their original location and multiple branches throughout the country. In 1994, Bommer shifted her focus, opening another school called the Nadine Bommer Dance Academy. This school of contemporary dance focuses on preparing students for professional careers in dance and classes are based in Bommer’s technique the Nadine Bommer Method (see technique section). Nadine Bommer Dance Academy is currently the flagship location offering this technique to aspiring professional dancers.
In 1997 Bommer established her dance company, beginning performances of work inspired by the early stages of her method. As she continued to make work, Bommer codified her technique, working through stages focused on classical technique (Nevet), improvisation (Kinetica), and characterization (Animato). The final stage of the method, Animato, was completed in 2006, leading to a new phase of the company centered in comedic narrative dance works. In 2007, Bommer began receiving sustained support from the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture & Sports. This year also marked the premiere of her landmark work Manimation which received great acclaim as Bommer’s first work fully utilizing the Nadine Bommer Method.
Following Manimation, Bommer choreographed three new full-length works in quick succession, American Cinema, Invisi’BALL, and Poodle It. Her humorous depiction of a soccer championship in Invisi’BALL rose to international acclaim, leading the company to tours all over the world. In tandem with this success, Bommer’s teenage daughter Gaya Bommer-Yemini received prominence in the award-winning documentary First Position. The film featured Bommer’s choreography as her daughter won many prizes while performing it around the world.
Return to New York
n 2015 Bommer was invited to present work in New York City after an anonymous donor sponsored her relocation. At this time the company took on a cross-continental structure, working with dancers based in both NYC and Israel. In NYC, Bommer began working with a new group of dancers, teaching them the Nadine Bommer Method and mounting her international sensation Invisi’BALL for its the NYC premiere.
After only a few months with this new company structure, Bommer began creating her newest work SEPIA. The piece departs from Bommer’s signature comedic tone, for a more dramatic work centered around powerfully evolving sea creature characters. SEPIA premiered at the Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater in 2016, and has since been presented in an immersive adaptation in NYC. In addition to this work, the company continues to tour internationally, with repertory out of NYC and Israel, most recently visiting South Korea, Russia, and Poland. In the US, Bommer has shared her work at Jacob’s Pillow on Broadway at The New Victory Theater, and at Battery Dance Festival. Currently the company is a residency artist at Lehman College through the CUNY Dance Initiative, and Bommer continues to spread her contemporary dance technique throughout the world with her choreography, cross continental company, and educational programming in both NYC and Israel.
1990 Establishes the Ketzev Hagoof Dance Center, Rishon LeZion.
1994 Found the Nadine Bommer Dance Academy for excelling dance students.
1995 Founds the Nadine Bommer Dance company.
1996 – 1999 Wins 1st and 2nd places in the European Choreography Competition, Freiburg, Germany.
1999 Establishes the Nadine Bommer Dance Festival for Creative Development, for dance students.
2002 Festival for Young Choreographers, established by Nadine Bommer to develop creativity among dance students.
2002 Nadine Bommer Dance Festival winners earns 1st place in the Italian International Competition.
2004 Establishes the Eilat Dance convention.
2006 Establishes the Nadine Animato company.
2007 Receives official government acknowledgment and support for her academic and dance company activities.
2007 Development completion of the Animato Art method, and its world premiere with the work titled “Manimation”.
2010 Receives honor award for the work “American Film” in Firenze, Italy.
2010 Wins 3rd place in the international finals of the YAGP competition with the work titled “Wild Horses”.
2011 Wins 1st place in both Europe and New York in the YAGP competition, with the work “Cartoon Girl” performed by Gaya Bommer Yemini.
2012 Animato Art is presented in the documentary film, “First Position”.
2013 “Manimation” wins 2nd place in the Rome Choreography Competition, and “Best Choreography” award at Premio Roma Danza”, Italy.
2013 Bommer’s work titled “InvisiBall” is invited to multiple tours worldwide.
2014 Nadine Bommer is invited to establish the Animato Art Center, New York.
2015 Opening of the Animato Art Center, New York.
2016 Nadine Bommer Dance Company New York’s premier of “Sepia” in Israel.
2017 Opening of the Animato Art Center, Israel.
2017 Opening of the Body Rhythm branch in Ness Ziona.
2017 Bommer founds the O.V Festivals in Eilat and Caesarea.
2018 “InvisiBall” celebrates 150 performances worldwide.
