Batsheva Dance Company's Sadeh 21 runs at BAM from November 12—15. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.
Program Notes
Sadeh 21 (PDF)
Website
Batsheva Dance Company
Interview
Ohad Naharin (CultureKiosque.com)
"Dance is an illusion and creation a lie,” says Naharin. “I distort reality in order to create my own world.”
Interview
Ohad Naharin (CultureKiosque.com)
"Dance is an illusion and creation a lie,” says Naharin. “I distort reality in order to create my own world.”
Article
Leaning On His Dancers (The Jewish Weekly)
"It was very important for me to invest in the dancers’ interpretation of my work," says Naharin of Sadeh 21. "I didn’t separate my choreography from their interpretations.”Article
Going Gaga: Ohad Naharin's Movement Language (BAM blog)
"Imagine two snakes inside your body—one running along your spine and the other across the width of your arms..."Article
Inside Batsheva (Dance Magazine)
Ohad Naharin has made Batsheva Dance Company his life partner—his sole place for artistic experimentation.
Article
Naharin's Influence (Dance Magazine)
Innovations like Naharin's "Gaga" technique have made the choreographer a worldwide icon.
Watch
Video
Batsheva Dance Company: "It's about making the body listen" (YouTube)
"Dead flesh." That's what choreographer Ohad Naharin calls the unheeded body.
Video
Ohad Naharin Discusses Gaga Technique (YouTube)
In Gaga technique, mirrors are forbidden. "[Movement] doesn't come from looking at yourself," says Naharin, "but from sensing where you are in space and the distance of your body parts from each other."
"I always spend time to see if [prospective dancers] can connect to the pleasure of dance—what it feels like, not what it looks like. If they can respond when I say things like, ‘Let your bones float inside your flesh’ or ‘Connect your form to the distance between our body parts.’ If they can use these suggestions to go beyond their familiar limits, then I’m happy. I like dancers who have the leftover baby in their bodies—being without self-consciousness, letting movement echo their feelings. This is just one color in the palette. It’s about being untamed and available."—Ohad Naharin
Batsheva Dance Company: "It's about making the body listen" (YouTube)
"Dead flesh." That's what choreographer Ohad Naharin calls the unheeded body.
Video
Ohad Naharin Discusses Gaga Technique (YouTube)
In Gaga technique, mirrors are forbidden. "[Movement] doesn't come from looking at yourself," says Naharin, "but from sensing where you are in space and the distance of your body parts from each other."
Worthwhile Words
"I always spend time to see if [prospective dancers] can connect to the pleasure of dance—what it feels like, not what it looks like. If they can respond when I say things like, ‘Let your bones float inside your flesh’ or ‘Connect your form to the distance between our body parts.’ If they can use these suggestions to go beyond their familiar limits, then I’m happy. I like dancers who have the leftover baby in their bodies—being without self-consciousness, letting movement echo their feelings. This is just one color in the palette. It’s about being untamed and available."—Ohad Naharin
Now your turn...
So how did you enjoy the show? Likes? Dislikes? Surprises? Tell us what's on your mind in the comments below.
So how did you enjoy the show? Likes? Dislikes? Surprises? Tell us what's on your mind in the comments below.