Israeli dancer Yuval Cohen’s performance in a featured role of “Carmen” with the Philadelphia Ballet on Oct. 9 was a full-circle moment for the artist still in his 20s.

Cohen performed the same ballet in his first featured role with the company almost exactly two years earlier, shortly after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

This year’s performance was a much happier occasion for Cohen , as news of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement came through during the show’s multi-day run through Oct. 12, and the last 20 living hostages were released the following day.

Cohen, who has lived in Philadelphia since joining the local ballet company in 2021, took the time to reflect on his own journey between the two “Carmen” performances as a dancer and an Israeli w

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