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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

In Context: Sadeh21


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)


Read

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.”

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
"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."


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.

14 comments:

  1. The joy of watching these bodies in motion is infectious. Although there is a far amount of "what IS he up to"? By the end of the piece, one is transported. And the triumphant ending may be one of the most celebratory moments of dance that I have every experienced. This group moves as if they are in a shared dream.

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  2. Playful, hypnotic, beautiful. The dancers move effortlessly and the result is disturbing and sublime. They draw the audience in from the beginning and never let go. Bravo.

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  3. Fantastic, beautiful, hypnotic. Five of us attended, and we were all mesmerized.

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  4. No frills, no recherche for glamor. Sadeh 21 speaks the truth. I have never seen any such hard work on any dance company. I was touched and inspired. I was searching for a "New Kind of Beauty" and I found it! Ad Majora Mr. Naharin, you have gone a long wondrous way. Cinzia Fasino

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  5. I have never attended a Batsheva Dance Company performance. Now I am sorry I did not see them sooner. Last night was mesmerizing, hypnotic, and like a shared dream, just as previous bloggers mentioned. I agree with them. I have never seen dancers move with quite the same controlled fluidity. Is that the result of the Gaga technique that I am responding to? I am also curious if Sadeh21 is representative of the level of dance quality in a typical Batsheva performance? I hope so, because I want to see more! There was one movement field — the one with the screams — that seemed weaker than the rest, because the choreography seemed to be an afterthought. The curtain call was a delightful surprise. I look forward to seeing this dance company the next time they come to NYC!

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  6. Extraordinary - possibly the best thing I have seen all year.

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  7. This show and performance was phenomenal and may be the best dance performance I've ever seen. I was riveted and deeply moved by the performance. I wish I could see it again tomorrow night. I am not terribly familiar with Ohad Naharin's full repertoire of work, but I can say that I felt like Sadeh21 reached a whole new level of human depth beyond his earlier works, for example compared to "Echad Mi Yodea".

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  8. What wonderful dancers, shown off individually and ensemble, looking entirely at ease while exhibiting absolute body control. Who knew that human bodies could bend that way while maintaining tremorless balance. The non-instrumental music was interesting and complemented the dancers. And the only curtain call where the dancers all fall down!

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  9. The strength and raw ability of the human form was exemplified by this performance of outstanding dancers. With so many sequences occurring simultaneously, one had to be overly attentive, so as not to miss any intricate moves. Not a hard feat though, as the ensemble was riveting and, at moments, compiled with humour. A show not to be missed!

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  10. I am a loyal fan of both BAM and Batsheva, and Sadeh21 didn't disappoint. I am so glad I decided to bring a group of 20 NJ high school dance students to the show - the experience has inspired us and our classroom. And what a testament to Naharin's work, that it reaches both the the most discerning modern dance audiences as well as unassuming, urban teens with little experience in the theater. BRAVO!

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  11. This show was one of those shows that you just watch and never want it to end! I was drawn in from the beginning and never lost attention! The movements were extraordinary, from the intersting patterns like the numbers and the shadows and the amazing simple yet breathtaking movements! Overall a Great Show! #CountyPrepHSDance

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  12. One of the most intriguing and amazing shows! The simplest movements created the largest impacts. I never knew what was coming next! Simply extraordinary! -E.R #CountyPrepHSDance

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  13. As a dancer, I dance randomly around the rooms of my house, and I never really considered what I did as dancing. After watching and experiencing this performance, and seeing them dance how I randomly dance, I now consider anything I do as dancing. I don't regret going back to school on a Friday night, to go to Brooklyn to watch this show. It's extremely hard to gather the perfect words to describe this breathtaking show, it left me speechless. It kept me on the edge of my seat and never bored, always surprised. I was able to understand what each dancer stood for and what drove them to be on that stage. Sadeh21 was nothing like anything I have ever seen before. Every move, every method of transitioning, the beginning and the ending, everything was unique and different. I loved every second of the performance. The only part I disliked was when it ended, because I did not want it to end. I would not mind going back to Brooklyn and watching it again. Batsheva Dance Company, thank you.

    -S.S #CountyPrepHSDance

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  14. As a dancer I haven't seen anything like this, it was a great experience to witness the performance and to be apart of your audience. I now have the full confidence in knowing that being different is an amazing thing.
    -K.P #CountyPrepHSDance

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