French Spring is here! Fantastic Israeli trio

It’s sizzling hot but the 10th French Spring – with its diverse cultural events being always bigger and better than the last – will “cool” us. Last year, 28,000 spectators enjoyed French Spring!

The “100 X France” at Ayala Museum on April 17 will depict the history of photography in Paris from 1839 to the present, revealing France and the French. The exhibit ends May 10.

Quatuor Diotima will perform on April 24 at 8 p.m. at the Philamlife theater. The string quarter, which has appeared on the world’s most prestigious stages, will play contemporary and 20th century classics.

The Boulou and Elios Ferré will interpret Gypsy jazz. Date and venue will be announced. The brothers Ferré come from the greatest family dynasty of guitarists ever. The sons of Gypsy guitarist Pierre Ferret will bring Gypsy swing into the modern era.

On June 4 at 8 p.m. at the RCBC theater, a Chinese pole acrobat and a French musician will deal with the boundaries of space in the circus “Ultimo Momento” wherein gravity appears inverted and the performers are seemingly multiplied.

On June 7 at 8 p.m., CCP Little Theater, Etha Dam’s new school of street dancing will combine the creative spirit with energetic hiphop technique.

Cie. Hervieu-Montalvo will perform at the CCP main theater on June 22 at 8 p.m., using extensive visual effects, extravagant poetic mix of dance and video will leave you dreaming.

There will also be food and film festivals, and an architectural exhibit. “Deguste” at Ayala Museum on April 17, 6:30 p.m. is an aesthetic fusion between gastronomy and art.

The Embassy of Israel and the FEU presented Israeli artists Ido Tadmor, Michal Amdurski and Ohad Hitman whose fantastic versatility stunned and startled. Tadmor’s unusually wide modern dance vocabulary harked back for its root and inspiration to ballet. Extraordinarily supple and pliant, he executed fantastic and superbly controlled extensions, while a single gesture could express defiance, anger, arrogance or tender feeling — indeed a whole range of emotions. With palpable reasons. Vienna classifies Tadmor as one of the world’s top ten modern dancers. How his every step arrested attention!

In a brief number, Tadmor sat or laid down on a bench, delineating “youth” then “age” (pouring white cream on his hair to complete the aging process).

The bench likewise served as prop for a fleeting ménage a trois; thereafter, the men did a unique, strikingly unusual pas de deux, with Hitman lifting Tadmor.

Ballet dancer Amdurski — light, nimble, graceful and fleet-footed — did a pas de deux with Tadmor. The two then performed a spectacular tango-like ballroom dance that nearly took one’s breath away with its turns and lifts demonstrating snap, sparkle and verve.

Hitman was a marvel, likewise. He sang while accompanying himself on the piano, his songs bearing the influences of jazz, soul, pop, Latino, Iberian — all of which he fused together to create his own personal and original compositions. These were predominantly sad and soulful, reflecting the Israelites’ beleaguered history.

Midway, Tadmor and Amdurski sang alternately with Hitman who again provided the marvelous piano accompaniment.

The dynamic, brilliant immensely talented trio repeatedly drew lusty applause.

Martin Lopez, executive director, FEU President’s Committee on Culture, introduced the artists to the audience headed by Ambassador Zvi and Limor Vapni and FEU president Lydia Echaus.