Choreographer
Photo: Aya Assaf
Roy Assaf is a mammal of the hominid family, belonging to the species Homo sapiens, although there are those who are convinced he possesses Neanderthal genes. He was born in 1982 in the rural community of Sde Moshe in a place that some call Israel, and some call Palestine. He broke his front tooth at the age of five while dancing on the slippery floor of his family home. At age six, he began giving tap concerts for his neighbor, who watched him dance on his concrete balcony from her window across the yard. From 1990 to 1996 he began creating and performing his own dances for monthly family gatherings in Jerusalem. In 1997 a performance by Batsheva – The Young Ensemble revealed to Roy his desire to pursue a career in dance. At the age of 16 he met Regba Gilboa, an educator, dance lover, and believer in people who rooted in Roy the confidence that dance is where he belongs. Endless hours were spent in Regba’s red Volkswagen, on the road to another show or workshop. Two years later Roy was drafted into the Israel Defence Forces (not a point of pride, but part of his past which cannot be denied), where, with a vest, helmet and a rifle on his shoulder he danced through his 8-hour checkpoint shifts. In 2004, he met Emanuel Gat who introduced him to Schubert and for whom he wore his first dress. With Gat he spent many hours in airports, hotels, cocktail parties, photo calls, post-show discussions, grueling technical nights, and fancy gala evenings with giants. In 2005 Roy met Anat Inditzky, who loves him for all his shortcomings to this day. Between 2008 and 2017 he met Aya, Nuri, Layla and Jona who continue to teach him about patience, perseverance, and fortitude, among many other things.
Assaf, a new face to the company, will create a world premiere for NDT 1 in season 2021-2022.