BIO
I am a choreographer, performer, multidisciplinary artist, journalist and critic. My work—created for the stage, screen, gallery, web, and print—explores the intersection of text and movement, navigating the tension between the language of the body and the spoken or written word.
Working across dance, physical theater, video, sound, and writing, I place the body at the center of my practice. My creations raise questions about the body’s role as a historical witness, a living archive, and an agent of change in the face of immigration, trauma, war, female identity, and the quest for home and freedom.
I have presented my work at various dance and film festivals, including the Jerusalem Fringe Festival, From Jaffa to Agripas, Room Service Festival and the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival (AIMAFF). My projects have also been exhibited in museums and galleries such as the Ramat Gan Museum of Art, Alfred Gallery, and Zumu Museum, and published in literary magazines including Granta and Write Haus.
In 2025, I received the "Most Outstanding Performance Award" from the AIMAFF jury for my performance in This Is Where I Leave You, my debut film which I also wrote and directed. I am a recipient of the Nira Friedman Grant, an excellence award for the development of new choreographic work and academic research. As of 2026, I am an artist-in-residence at Yael - Home for Independent Dance Makers.
Parallel to my creative practice, I am an independent writer and journalist specializing in visual arts, performance and dance. My writing ranges from reviews and in-depth interviews to features, essays and poetry. For over a decade, my work has been regularly published by numerous outlets, including Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Flash Art, Collectors Agenda, Portfolio, Erev Rav, and The Art Newspaper. Previously, I held senior editorial roles in the news industry, serving as Head of the News Desk at Haaretz English (2017–2020) and Breaking News Editor at The Jerusalem Post (2016–2017).
Both my performative practice and my writing are deeply informed by my research into the philosophy of language, literature and psychoanalysis. I hold a B.Dance from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where I am currently completing my M. Dance with a specialization in choreography. I am also presently training to become a Feldenkrais practitioner.
PRESS
Lessons in the language of separation: Joy Bernard at Alfred Gallery: Interview by Reut Barnea, Portfolio Magazine (Hebrew)
Banditka Questionnaire with Joy Bernard: Interview by Anna Bershtansky, Banditka Magazine (Hebrew)
"Joy Bernard's dance Therapy": Interview by Ori J. Lenkinski, The Jerusalem Post
”Art exhibition in Tel-Aviv: Me, me, me”: Review by Katharina Hoeftmann, Israel Zwischenzeilen (German)