Invitation to a Lecture at Emory University on American and Israeli Dance
February 20, 2010 · Posted by Dance In Israel ·
Video: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet performing Ohad Naharin’s Decadance
If you’re in Atlanta, Georgia – or if you know someone in Atlanta – here’s a heads up:
I’m happy to announce that I am speaking in the Emory Friends of Dance Lecture Series on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). My talk, Foreign Exchange: American and Israeli Dance from Martha Graham to Ohad Naharin, will precede a performance by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet of Ohad Naharin’s Decadance. I won’t be in Atlanta in person, but I will be speaking via Skype and have an exciting presentation prepared!
Cedar Lake performing ...
Batsheva Dance Company: Ohad Naharin’s “Shalosh” (“Three”)
February 15, 2010 · Posted by Dance In Israel ·
Video: Batsheva Dance Company in Ohad Naharin’s Three
Five years after its premiere, Ohad Naharin’s Shalosh (Three) still lures audiences to the Suzanne Dellal Center – and judging by the enthusiastic curtain calls last Saturday night, the work continues to captivate crowds. My preview of this run of Three was originally published in the Jerusalem Post as “Lucky Number ‘Three.’”
* * *
Three by Ohad Naharin. Photo by Gadi Dagon.
Addressing a small crowd in the Batsheva Dance Company’s studios during an open rehearsal of Three, artistic director and choreographer Ohad Naharin mused that we frequently revisit books, movies, and music. So ...
Actors Learn Gaga for The Miracle Worker
February 12, 2010 · Posted by Dancing Perfectly Free ·
photo by John Dugdale
William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker opens on Broadway today – the first revival in nearly fifty years. A recent New York Times profile of Abigail Breslin, who plays Helen, revealed that the actors trained in Ohad Naharin’s movement language, Gaga, in order to prepare for the physical demands of their roles. Lee Sher, who cofounded LeeSaar The Company in 2000, oversaw their training throughout the production. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
One key to Ms. Breslin’s preparation has been Lee Sher, the production’s physical-training adviser, who works with Ms. Breslin and Ms. [Alison] Pill [who plays Annie ...
Five Dynamic Performances & Two Celebrated Israeli Choreographers
February 4, 2010 · Posted by danceJournal ·
Koresh Dance Company takes the stage at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for its 2010 spring season featuring the world premiere of Sense of Human, by Ronen (Roni) Koresh and the company premiere of Passomezzo by Ohad Naharin, artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company.
Passomezzo, set to the Baroque melodies of Greensleeves and The Beggar’s Opera, is a highly theatrical pas de deux depicting the intimate dialogue between a man and a woman. Ohad describes Passomezzo as a duet about tough love and opposition that explores the tempestuous shifts of balance in a relationship. The commissioning of Passomezzo was made possible ...
Five Dynamic Performances & Two Celebrated Israeli Choreographers
February 4, 2010 · Posted by danceJournal ·
Koresh Dance Company takes the stage at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for its 2010 spring season featuring the world premiere of Sense of Human, by Ronen (Roni) Koresh and the company premiere of Passomezzo by Ohad Naharin, artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company.
Passomezzo, set to the Baroque melodies of Greensleeves and The Beggar’s Opera, is a highly theatrical pas de deux depicting the intimate dialogue between a man and a woman. Ohad describes Passomezzo as a duet about tough love and opposition that explores the tempestuous shifts of balance in a relationship. The commissioning of Passomezzo was made possible ...
Batsheva Dance Company: Ohad Naharin’s “Project 5″
January 19, 2010 · Posted by Dance In Israel ·
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 ...
International Exposure 2009: A Perspective from Abroad
December 30, 2009 · Posted by Dance In Israel ·
Video: Maya Brinner’s Red Ladies was one of several works exploring the individual within the group at International Exposure
A few weeks after International Exposure 2009, not only am I continuing to mull over some intriguing works that I saw, but I am still thinking about the many attendees I met and contemplating the conversations I had with them.
It was truly remarkable to see how many presenters were scoping out Israeli dance with the hopes of bringing Israeli choreographers or companies to their venues. The audience at International Exposure was well-informed, sophisticated, and worldly; its members were knowledgeable about the contemporary ...
Another Year, Another Wrap-Up
December 23, 2009 · Posted by Dancing Perfectly Free ·
Batsheva Dance Company in Ohad Naharin’s MAX, photo by Gadi Dagon
It has been an eventful year for dance, and at times, a sad one. We lost Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, and Michael Jackson, many companies folded or laid off dancers due to financial troubles, and individuals everywhere involved in the arts – as writers, managers, choreographers, directors, you name it – are scratching their heads and having conversations about how to do more with less. But there were also some new, thriving initiatives, like the Performance Club (which just celebrated its one-year anniversary), Arts in Crisis, and FEAST, which will ...
INTERVIEWS WITH SONYA TAYEH AND BILLY BELL
December 10, 2009 · Posted by Swan Lake Samba Girl ·
Okay, here are the interviews I did with Sonya Tayeh and Billy Bell last week at the DeMa Dance Company rehearsal. (Bell and Tayeh are most known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, if you don’t know - Bell was on the show briefly at the beginning of the season and had to withdraw due to illness, and Tayeh is a choreographer). I spoke with them very quickly, during their tiny lunch break, and I shared the interview with a writer from Dance Spirit magazine. It was hard to get everything down (especially with Billy, who ...
International Exposure 2009: Showcasing Israeli Dance
December 5, 2009 · Posted by Dance In Israel ·
Barak Marshall’s Rooster. Photo by Avi Avin.
As autumn turns into winter, there’s an interesting progression from one dance festival in Tel Aviv to the next. Tel Aviv Dance introduces Israeli audiences to top-notch dance from around the globe before giving way to Curtain Up, a celebration of new Israeli-made works. And then, in a few concentrated days of concerts, International Exposure attempts to introduce Israeli dance to the world by showcasing the past year’s bounty (including recently premiered Curtain Up works) to foreign arts presenters who just might invite local choreographers to perform in their home countries.
Now ...
