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Episode 2

Look at Yourselves!

Israeli identity and politics in Ohad Naharin’s 2019 (2019) Batsheva Dance Company 

This episode focuses on Ohad Naharin’s 2019 for the Batsheva Dance Company — a bold, political, and spectacular performance, staged unconventionally just before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through interviews with people from the company and others, we explore how this piece invites the audience to “look at themselves” through a performance that challenges the boundaries of intimacy, the body, and perceptions of conventions.

The episode delves into Naharin’s choreographic language and the foundations of the Gaga movement language; into a soundtrack that weaves together texts by Hanoch Levin, music by Fairuz, Arab trap-rap, and nostalgic Israeli children’s songs; and into a visual aesthetic that references both Arab celebrations and voguing. It’s an episode about a mechanism of elimination as a choreographic device, dance as political defiance, and a rare moment when the body leaves the stage and reaches out to the audience.

Look at Yourselves!play episode
00:00 / 01:04

This episode is narrated by: Sarah Holcman, Adi Drori, Nataly Fainstien & Ido Kenan

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With 

Dina Aldor Executive Director, Batsheva Dance Company

Eri Nakamura dancer, Batsheva Dance Company and costume designer

Yoni Simon dancer, Batsheva Dance Company

Ran Brown Head of the dance program at Telma Yellin high school for the arts, independent dance researcher and dance critic for Haaretz newspaper

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Translation from Hebrew

Michal Shalev

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Music

"Card Games" by Iarmi Kadoshi

performed by Moshe Cohen from the album “Mabat Koev” (1994)

"Hine ma tov umanaim" Psalms/Moshe Yakobson traditional tune

"You, Me and the Next War" lyrics Hanoch Levin music Alex Cagan

 performed by Shifra Milstein, Gad Keinar Bat-sheva Tzeizler and Rami Peleg, Piano: Bert Bermann

“You, Me and the Next War" lyrics Hanoch Levin, music and performed by Maxim Waratt Accordion: Uzi Rosenblat, cello: Noa Ayali

"Bashana Haba`a" Ehud Manor&Nurit Hirsh Accordion: Uzi Rosenblat

 

*All musical excerpts are from the choreographies presented in this episode. 

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Links

http://archive.batsheva.co.il/ Batsheva Dance Company Archive

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