Deborah Friedes Galili is an independent dancer and dance scholar based in Tel Aviv. She holds a BA in dance history from Brown University and an MFA in dance from The Ohio State University.
In 2007-2008, Deborah researched Israeli contemporary dance thanks to a Fulbright grant funded by the U.S.-Israel Educational Foundation and hosted by the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance (JAMD). Throughout her Fulbright year, she blogged on The Winger and podcasted interviews with Israeli dance professionals on Israel Seen. Her writing has subsequently been published in Dance Magazine, the Forward, and The Jerusalem Post. In 2012, her book, Contemporary Dance in Israel, was published in both English and Spanish by Asociación Cultural Danza Getxo.
Deborah also lectures about Israeli contemporary dance and is available to speak both in person and via webcam. She is currently teaching a survey course about dance in Israel for DanceJerusalem, a study abroad program initiated by the JAMD and Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School. A graduate of the inaugural Gaga Teacher Training Program, Deborah teaches Gaga to dancers and people without a dance background. She also works as an administrator for Gaga.
To follow Deborah’s research and writing, please visit her online magazine, Dance In Israel.