“With elements of Butoh and Dance, Karavan’s physical discipline is extraordinary. Every pulse and movement count as she lets us into the intimate womb she inhabits. In this sensual piece… all is communicated” Total Theatre

Award winning performer, dancer and director Yael Karavan was born in Israel and grew up in Florence, Paris and is based in London and Brighton since 1996. At the age of 13 she began a successful acting career in the National Theatre, television, radio and films in Israel. In 1994 she has travelled Europe, Brazil and Japan studying with masters such as Anton Adassinski from physical theatre Derevo, Nigel Charnock from DV8, Philippe Genty, Philippe Gaulier, Jerzy Winnicki ( Grotowski), Ricardo Puccetti from Lume Teatro, Monica Pagnieux (feldenkrais in performance), Sue Morrison (Clown through mask), and Butoh masters Kazuo Ohno, Tadashi Endo, Carlotta Ikeda, Yumiko Yoshioka, Akiko Motofuji, Ko Morobushi, Katsura Kan and more, searching to create an elaborate method of physical training for the performer and to develop a contemporary physical language of expression bridging between east and west, dance and theatre.

Her work is often described as visual poetry, Drawing on elements of Butoh, dance, mime, clown, physical and visual theatre she explores the themes of Memory, Metamorphosis, the invisible and the notion of repetitive cycles, intertwining dreamlike atmospheres with a humorous edge, constantly balancing on the fine line between the tragic and the comic, the intimate and the collective.
She has created and performed 7 solo shows, touring world-wide, and in 2006 was awarded the TEATRONETO prize for best performance with her solo The Way Home. She has been, amongst others, member of DEREVO multiple award winning Russian physical theatre company, Mamu Dance Theatre of Tadashi Endo, Ten-Pen Chi of Yumiko Yoshioka and a founding member of the site-specific international company Adapt- Theatre Picture Collision. She has been working / collaborating with Tanya Khabarova (Derevo), Naomi Silman (LUME), Ephia (Djalma primordial science), Linda Remahl, Fran Barbe, Marie Gabriel Rotie, Bruno Humberto, Adam Read amongst others, nationally and internationally.

In 2009 she founded The Karavan Ensemble, a site specific/responsive company of international performers with an exciting mixture of performance skills and backgrounds, with whom she has devised and directed award winning show Anima (Argus Angel award) for Brighton Fringe 2011. A Ship of Fools for Brighton Fringe 2010, A Light through the Night commissioned for Brighton’s White Night, The Dressing Room for Brighton Dome, A Small Museum of Displaced Sea commissioned by the award winning Dip Your Toe project as well as two big site responsive projects in Cologne, Germany and various outdoors and community projects.

Yael is now touring internationally with various collaborations including – Somnambules and Equator, two duets created and performed in collaboration with Russian Dancer, Tanya Khabarova, founder member of acclaimed Derevo Company, PUPIK- Fugue in two – a duet created and performed in collaboration with Naomi Silman from Lume Teatro, Brazil and her new solo D-Code, in collaboration with sound designer- Carl Beukman. Karavan is also mentoring, devising and directing various solos and group shows mainly across the U.K and Brazil.

Her work has been supported by Arts Council England, Brighton&Hove Council, South East Dance, Awards for all, Hollingdean Youth Trust, Coachwerks, The Nightingale Theatre, Matan Foundation for the Arts, Micadances- Paris, Atelier de Paris Carolyn Carlson and CCN Magui Marin, cultural association Dello Scompiglio, Vorno, Italy.

Yael is currently supported by South East Dance through their Creative and Business Development programme.

Since 1999 Yael has been teaching workshops internationally; at Brighton and Reading University in the U.K, Kinki University of Osaka and the Asbestos Kan studio in Tokyo- Japan, The Habima National Theatre in Israel, Lume Theatre Research Nucleus and SESCI in São Paulo, Recife, Olinda and Bellem – Brazil, Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Seaux- France, BAW (Bilingual Acting Workshops) in Paris, TTI in London, Oxford dance forum& Cafe Reason, Coachwerks, The Nightingale Theatre in Brighton, amongst others.