If you know Idan Cohen, you know two things: his wardrobe is fabulously modest (two outfits, total), and his imagination is anything but. Born and raised on a kibbutz in Israel, Idan grew up with a socialist sensibility that shaped his generous, big-picture way of thinking. He trained as a pianist before dancing seven seasons with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, and today he’s an award-winning opera director and choreographer, creating work across Israel, Europe, Australia, and North America.
But here’s the part his CV won’t tell you: Idan drinks coffee out of tiny jars, he makes his own pickles (he’ll tell you all about it), and will casually whip up a custom ice cream flavour (ok, four flavours) just to keep you guessing. He has impeccable posture, a deep love of wine at business meetings, and a gift for curating imagery that layers queerness and classicism into alternate realities. His works reimagine familiar narratives with equal parts whimsy and spite, a mix that feels both playful and razor-sharp.
Idan knows how to live simply but dream extravagantly. If you’re lucky, he’ll invite you into that dream for a little while.
-Written by Ted Littlemore, dance artist, musician, drag-queen, collaborator, friend, muse
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Which ’hood are you in?
I live in Downtown’s beautiful West End- West of Denman area, just one block from the Lost Lagoon.
It’s a beautiful spot where the city meets nature in all its beauty, and I find it to be an essential daily reminder, that there’s still so much beauty to be found, to be discovered. I jog around the lagoon, and into the park- listening to music, and am in awe, appreciating how truly lucky I am to have gotten here, and to call Vancouver home.
What do you do?
I’m a contemporary dance choreographer turned opera stage director. I dive into worlds and stories, exploring them through multifaceted lenses. I began my artistic life as a dancer in Israel, and I studied music, theatre and fine arts. I danced for seven seasons with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in the north of the country, and then started creating my own dance pieces. Eventually, I realized that opera is the perfect, natural home for the collaboration of arts. Opera unites music, movement, visual design, and storytelling- it holds the potential to be everything I believe art can be.
What are you currently working on?
I’m preparing for Ne. Sans Opera & Dance’s upcoming BC tour of Take This Waltz, to the music of Leonard Cohen. It’s a really emotional work, blending live opera, contemporary dance, and theatrical storytelling, all set to the haunting music of Leonard Cohen. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how Take This Waltz touches audiences across genres since we premiered it at Chutzpah! in 2022. There’s something for everyone in that piece- whether they’re devoted opera lovers, dance enthusiasts, or simply fans of Cohen’s music.
Where can we find your work?
Our Take This Waltz tour will take us to Nanaimo, Mission, and Salt Spring Island, before returning to Vancouver’s Chutzpah! Festival on November 15th & 16th. We’re so excited to be invited back!
