Ohad Naharin

Saying Goodbye To Atlanta Ballet’s John McFall

May 20, 2016 by 4dancers

John McFall with dancers — **John McFall and dancers from Atlanta Ballet. Photo by Brian Wallenberg.**

Dear John,

You are stepping down as Artistic Director of Atlanta Ballet this month after 21 years. How to describe what your tenure accomplished? How to distill such a career?

I could talk about the numbers. How the budget has nearly tripled since 1994 or the 1200 students enrolled in the school. I could talk about how Atlanta Ballet has transformed in your two decades from a regional dance troupe to a world-class institution. About the exciting collaborations- Big Boi from Outkast, the Indigo Girls. Or about the world premieres- Twyla Tharp’s first full length ballet, Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. I could talk about the tour to China, the opening of a beautiful new building, your own choreography including the record-breaking Nutcracker. I could talk about the cutting-edge choreographers like Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman and Jorma Elo that you convinced out of a sheer doggedness and passion for your dancers to come to a city in the Southeast and bring their work to us.

These things are astounding, valid and commendable. But you know all these things already.

And this letter isn’t about what you’ve done for Atlanta Ballet. It’s what you’ve done for me and your dancers. So I’d rather talk about the joy. [Read more…]

Hidden Gems: Ballet’s Mixed Rep Programs

March 18, 2016 by 4dancers

MCV1 — ***Atlanta Ballet dancers backstage at a performance of Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony. Photo courtesy of Alessa Rogers.***

by Alessa Rogers

Mixed repertory programs can be a tough sell for ballet companies. Audiences are more willing to shell out money and time to see something familiar; like the story ballets Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, of which they already know what to expect and are thus more comfortable. Marquis productions are what bring in the money with their splashy titles, character-driven works, happy or not so happy endings. But there is a younger sibling to the more traditional full-length narrative ballet that deserves just as much audience respect–the mixed repertory program.

Mixed rep defined

A mixed rep show is a stylistically diverse program of multiple shorter works–generally 3 or 4 pieces, each around 15-30 minutes in length, and usually all by different choreographers. Some follow a narrative arc where others are movement for movement’s sake. Unless an artistic director has chosen a unifying theme for the program the pieces stand-alone and are unrelated which leads to a surprising, fresh and exciting program.

Bite-sized dance

In this day and age of instant gratification, a mixed rep show may just be what an entry-level balletomane needs. A 20 minute piece followed by a break to check in to the theater on Facebook and send a few selfies in your theatre-going finery followed by another 15 minute burst of culture a couple more times? Yes this is what 21^st century audiences can do at a mixed rep show! No need to buckle your seatbelt for a 3 and a half hour show of the same tortured heroine (though that is perfect for some people). The commitment is less but the pay off is still great. It’s like being served 3 of the most exquisite appetizers and not even needing to order an entrée because you are so satisfied from that.

But besides the practical logistics of maintaining your social life while gaining some culture cred, mixed reps offer something really special. I did a little bit of market research while writing this post, i.e., I asked my boyfriend what he thinks about mixed reps. He is a typical young American male engineer who likes watching basketball, playing chess and not going to ballets (until he met me that is–now he is horrified that he might have missed out on all those Nutcrackers!) Turns out, mixed rep programs are his favorite shows to go to. “They are good for people with short attention spans and there is more of a chance to see something you really like because there are three distinct pieces. Sometimes a piece might be weird and polarizing but in the end that makes it more exciting. And you are exposing yourself to the most density of dance experience in a short amount of time.” (Did I mention he has a Ph.D.? He is very smart and should be trusted.)

21st Century ballet

Mixed rep programs are fun because you never know quite what to expect. This is not stereotypical ballet. In a single show you might see classical ballet, neoclassical, contemporary, a blurring of all of these, or something completely different. There was one mixed rep at Atlanta Ballet that had not one single pointe shoe the entire evening. There were cowboy boots and jazz shoes and bare feet but nary a pointe shoe in sight. This is ballet? Yes, this is ballet in the 21^st century and it is glorious. Mixed reps are where ballet evolves and grows up and changes with the times. This is where performers and audiences stretch themselves to the limits, breathing new life into an old art form.

MCV2 — ***Atlanta Ballet dancers dressed for Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 on tour in Toronto. Photo courtesy of Alessa Rogers.***

In a mixed rep program at Atlanta Ballet the audience is treated to some of the world’s greatest choreographers, like Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor and Jorma Elo. These in-demand dance makers from all over the world are heading South with their ballets. Atlantans don’t have to travel to places like New York and Europe to see these masters. They are coming here. At the same time, many companies use mixed reps to foster their budding in-house choreographers. In a 2014 mixed rep program, I was fortunate enough to be in pieces by internationally acclaimed choreographers Alexei Ratmansky and Ohad Naharin, but it ended up being Atlanta Ballet dancer Tara Lee’s premiere that was most special to me. There is a different dynamic in being choreographed on by a fellow dancer. She knows everything about me as a dancer, what I’m good at, what I’m bad at (and still cast me!), and it formed a kind of trust between her and her cast that was so strong.

In the program Atlanta Ballet is currently preparing for, all three works were world premieres on Atlanta Ballet at one point or another. When new pieces are being created, the studio is fecund with creativity, energy and excitement. Mixed rep shows are where we get to work with choreographers we have always dreamed of working with. I think at Atlanta Ballet this is really where we shine–in collaboration and in versatility. Working with these choreographers in such varied styles is how dancers become versatile artists. Young dancers often get their first chances to be featured and shine alongside virtuosic veterans. It can be hard on a body to go from Possokhov’s Classical Symphony to Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s El Beso in the same night because the qualities are completely different but we crave the challenge. It fills us up. Mixed reps are where we find and push our edges. Even if there is one piece we don’t particularly like or isn’t suited to us we can work on growing in that one and really enjoy the next. There are extremes and there is balance and there is, always, beauty and joy.

When it comes to mixed rep programs, there are plenty of reasons to attend. Choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano shares some thoughts on the value of experiencing a range of different contemporary dances:

Atlanta Ballet’s 20/20: Visionary program is a mixed rep offering that runs from March 18th through March 20th, 2016. Tickets are still available.

Contributor Alessa Rogers began her dance training with Daphne Kendall and left home at fourteen to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon graduation she spent one season with North Carolina Dance Theatre II before joining Atlanta Ballet where she has been for the past eight years.

Favorite roles at Atlanta Ballet include Juliette in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo et Juliette, Margaret in the world premiere of Helen Pickett’s The Exiled, Lucy in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Ophelia in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, Lover Girl in David Bintley’s Carmina Burana, and Princess Irene in the world premiere of Twyla Tharp’s The Princess and the Goblin.

She has performed works by Jorma Elo, Wayne McGregor, Ohad Naharin, Christopher Wheeldon, Christopher Hampson, Dwight Rhoden and Tara Lee. She has been a guest artist with the National Choreographers Initiative in California and Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in Asheville, N.C.

In her spare time she likes to read, write, cook vegetables, meditate, travel and rock climb.

Atlanta Ballet’s “The Best of Modern Choreographic Voices”

April 18, 2015 by Rachel Hellwig

Seven Sonatas - Photo by Charlie McCullers, Atlanta Ballet. — Seven Sonatas – Photo by Charlie McCullers, Atlanta Ballet.

by Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet’s “The Best of Modern Choreographic Voices” opens with “Seven Sonatas” by Alexei Ratmansky, a work originally created for American Ballet Theatre. A piano ballet, featuring live performance of Scarletti selections, it depicts three lyrical, windswept, and witty couples in white. Some of the most distinctive features of Ratmansky’s style are its improvisational quality and playful, sometimes irreverent use of classical ballet, as well as unexpected moments of humor. Hard-to-get, push-pull, please-don’t-go-yet courtships are highlighted in the pas de deuxs, often with comedy. When one man’s beloved skims offstage out of his reach, he merely shrugs and keeps dancing until she returns. Interestingly, intermittent somberness and the quiet ending hint at a more solemn undercurrent of anxiety about losing “the one you love”, though this is usually hidden behind much lightheartedness. [Read more…]

Making “Mr. Gaga” – A Film About Choreographer Ohad Naharin

December 11, 2013 by 4dancers

a1555e_403d2bf009239d4bc6042048367c18df.jpg_srz_p_220_270_75_22_0.50_1.20_0 — Tomer Heymann, Director

Today we are pleased to share with readers an interview with Tomer Heymann – the man behind countless hours of footage of the well-known dance figure Ohad Naharin. Heymann is working to create a film about the choreographer (Titled, “Mr. Gaga”), and it has been a project to which he has truly devoted himself.

1. How did you first meet Ohad Naharin?

I met Ohad Naharin more than twenty years ago on one of my vacations from military service. My aunt was a director of the Batsheva Dance Company at the time and I got a ticket to see Naharin’s piece “Kir” (“Wall”). This was the first piece he staged in Israel after his return from the U.S. I had never seen any dance before in my life, so I didn’t know what to expect.

But from the moment I saw the dancers move, the movement, their bodies, I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. By the end of the show, my eyes were sore from staring. It was phenomenal. Since then I haven’t missed one of Ohad’s productions: I have seen 25 of Ohad’s pieces, and more than once. A few years later, I also fell in love with a dancer from Batsheva.

One time, when I was working as a waiter in a coffee shop, I found the courage to introduce myself to Naharin.

2. What made you decide to do this film?

Even before I’d become a filmmaker, I felt I had to be close to this man. I had to understand how he creates something that magnificent, that inspiring. As we became friends I never abandoned the idea of making a film about Ohad Naharin. But only after I had made a few films, did I feel able to approach him and ask. This turned into an obsession, I stalked him. And only 7 years ago did he finally agree to let me bring a camera to the studio.

3. Did you find that filming dance was a challenge? Why or why not?

Before agreeing to participate in “Mr. Gaga” Ohad had many times told me that he forbids the filming of dance, as it goes against the momentary and fleeting nature of dance. This is why it was very challenging for me to shoot and edit this film. Where do you cut when you are editing a wholesome creation, a dance piece? I hope that I have managed to capture these moments, to make a collection of these moments that evolves into something larger than just the sum of its parts and also tells a story.

4. Where has the filming taken you in terms of following Ohad and Batsheva?

I have followed the company to seven different countries and spent countless hours in the studio in Tel Aviv. I’ve witnessed some dancers “grow up” with the company and Naharin, starting in the ensemble as kids 18-19 years old and then coming to the company to become extraordinary dancers–and then move on to other places. For example Sharon Eyal, once a prodigy of the company, and present a lot in our footage, now is one of the leading choreographers in Israel and Europe. Danielle Agami, another talented dancer now has her own successful company in L.A.

Being with Batsheva and Ohad Naharin really became a part of my life. It is safe to say that I spent 1 to 2 days of every week in the past seven years with them, not counting the hours I spend in the editing room.

“Mr. Gaga” is a film that took me one step further as a filmmaker, as a director – in terms of the responsibility it demanded from me, the amount of people involved, the volume of materials to be processed, and in terms of the time and resources I am investing. Ohad is such an influential figure in his field, and this puts a lot responsibility on me to deliver a film that will match his stature.

5. In your view, what stands out about this man and this company?

What is so interesting about Ohad Naharin is that he is one of the rare choreographers who appeals to a very wide range of audiences; not just regular dance fans who are familiar with classical ballet. His language and art are universal; it goes deep into something primal in our emotional selves–to our bodily awareness of ourselves. And he also does this without becoming “pop” or compromising his art. On the contrary, Naharin always finds new ways to recreate, to redefine his language.

6. What has been the biggest challenge in this process so far?

There was a lot of resistance. It may seem like a very rosy picture from the outside: We are friends, we are intimate and I am making a film about Ohad Naharin over seven years. But the opposite is true. Ohad is a difficult and complicated man and he gave me a hard time. There was a lot of resistance. Sometimes he would just say “cut” – as if he were the director – he would just “cut” the communication, stop cooperating with me, exclude me from his space. But in these moments I knew we were only spiraling deeper in our relationship, reaching yet another new level of intimacy.

7. Can you talk about a special moment you experienced while filming?

One example–I knew that Ohad had a TREASURE chest in his home: An enormous collection of still images, recordings, rehearsals, performances, family footage; his work in New York with Martha Graham, work with Maurice Béjart, his first wife – the legendary Alvin Ailey dancer, Mari Kajiwara, many many things. I was obsessed with these materials for years; I knew that I had to get them into the film somehow.

And suddenly this year I felt that we had reached the point where I could ask for it. I just told Ohad: “Give me this!” And he just gave it to me, all of it, just like that. He just handed over his past into my hands.

8. What do you think people might be surprised to learn about Ohad Naharin?

Ohad harbors a very sensitive nature under his tough appearance. People might also be very surprised to discover Ohad’s sense of humor and the relationships he builds with the dancers.

9. What does the next phase of this project look like, and when are you hoping to finish it?

Right now we are processing the footage shot over the past year and adding it to the rough cut. It includes Ohad Naharin working on his latest creation “The Hole” with the Batsheva Dance Company. Interesting footage because there was a special octagon stage created for this piece in one of the studios of the Suzan Dallal center in Tel Aviv, with dancers also standing right behind the audience and even under the very ceiling. It’s really a 360 degrees experience for the audience; something very special. We also filmed Ohad working on his repertoire in Finland and we travelled with him to New York.

At the same time there is a team of 5 very experienced researchers that are looking for any piece of archival material there can be found about Ohad Naharin or the company. We are finding unbelievable footage and all of that needs to be incorporated into the film as well.

Should we succeed with our Kickstarter campaign we will be able to acquire this footage and to proceed with the post-production. We are planning to release the film in spring 2014, in conjunction with the celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel and in the U.S.A.

Emotions In Motion: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago – Fall Series

October 12, 2013 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Powerful and poignant – two simple words that provide a quick snapshot of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Fall Series at the Harris Theater Thursday evening. Each of the four pieces displayed strong choreography and palpable emotion while managing to be fresh and interesting rather than showy and overdone.

Hubbard Street Dancer Emilie Leriche and ensemble in Fluence by Robyn Mineko Williams. Photo by Quinn B Wharton.

Fluence was the first piece of the evening, a Chicago premiere by choreographer (and former Hubbard Street dancer) Robyn Mineko Williams. It begins with mechanical, twitchy movements that evolve and alternate with primitive, low-to-the-ground choreography. It’s as if one is watching futuristic robots that have feelings—like characters from the 1982 movie Blade Runner—but better.

Costumes by Hogan McLaughlin seem to support the idea of an almost “sewn together” look—bodies (prototypes?) in different phases of evolution. The dancers really seemed to embrace and understand the mannequin-like motions that are juxtaposed with visceral, human movements. Even with the lighthearted bubbles that cascade down at the end of the piece, the overall feel is one of melancholy.

Hubbard Street Dancers Ana Lopez, left, and Jacqueline Burnett in Cloudless by Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

Next up was Cloudless, a duet for two women by resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. This world premiere was tender and intimate without being soft and sweet. Cerrudo relegates the audience to voyeur status as the women look deep into each others eyes, touch and slow dance, proving yet again that he is a master of creating strong intimacy through movement.

Cerrudo knows how to choreograph a duet that doesn’t look like it was made for a man and a woman and Jacqueline Burnett and Ana Lopez were able to convey the power of their bond without losing a shred of their femininity.

Hubbard Street Dancers Kellie Epperheimer, left, and Johnny McMill an in Passomezzo by Ohad Naharin. Photo by Todd Rosenberg — Hubbard Street Dancers Kellie Epperheimer, left, and Johnny McMillan in
Passomezzo by Ohad Naharin. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

While Cloudless explores a more progressive approach, Ohad Naharin’s Passomezzo instead tips the hat to times gone by. Dancers Kellie Epperheimer and Johnny McMillan move with passion to a variety of selections from The Beggar’s Opera.

It soon becomes apparent why knee pads are part of McMillan’s simple costume—the choreography is not for the timid. From behind he repeatedly grasps and pulls her back hard on top of him while they sit on the ground—as if she is a boat that he is rowing frantically toward some crucial destination. She stands–balancing on his chest again and again. They drop to the floor and take turns running on their knees. They polka. They pace. And while the choreography may seem a bit of a whirlwind, it somehow works all jumbled up together–mirroring the emotional roller coaster that colors many a long-term relationship.

Hub bard Street Dancer s Ana Lopez, left, and Alejandro Cerrudo in Casi - Casa by Mats Ek. Photo by Todd Rosenberg. — Hubbard Street Dancers Ana Lopez, left, and Alejandro Cerrudo in Casi-Casa
by Mats Ek. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

After the myriad of passionate feelings that are explored in Passomezzo, the start to Casi-Casa offers a bit of welcome comic relief before exploring any deeper. With a smart set design by Peder Freiij that consists of a door, a stove and a chair, this Mats Ek creation was danced with far more authority than the last time the company performed it on the same stage. Exquisite music by Fleshquartet adds a heartbreaking depth to the duets, and it rings out like an anthem as five women defiantly step dance their way through household chores with a canister vacuum in tow.

Hubbard Street’s Fall Series continues at the Harris Theater through Sunday, October 13th.

Mixed rep defined

Bite-sized dance

21st Century ballet

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