Batsheva Dance Company: Ohad Naharin’s “Project 5″
Video: Batsheva Dance Company in Ohad Naharin’s Project 5
Given the chance, I usually prefer to see a dance twice. I can anticipate the choreography and more strategically direct my gaze, and I detetct nuances that I missed the first time around.
I first saw Batsheva Dance Company in Ohad Naharin’s Project 5 when it premiered in 2008, and by the time I had my second viewing last week, there had been a significant change: the gender of the dancers. Originally created for five female dancers, Project 5 is now being performed not only by women but also by men.
I had wondered if I would sense differences between the male version and the female version of Project 5. Without watching the versions back-to-back, it was challenging to make a fair comparison. Instead, as I watched the men, I found myself thoroughly absorbed in noticing the subtle idiosyncrasies among individuals both within this particular quintet and across the two casts I had seen. Project 5’s assortment of small groupings and repeated compositional motifs provide ample opportunity to observe each dancer...
