Batsheva Dance Company - "THREE" By Ohad Naharin

About the show

Three

"Whenever Mr. Naharin’s company comes to town, we have much to be thankful for; in the case of his new dance, it came three times over". (New York Times)

"Through the vision and imagination of one of the finest choreographers of our time, we witness a rare event — fleeting, vivid." (Benjamin Millepied)

Ohad Naharin returns to “Three”, which he created for the Batsheva Dance Company in 2005 – a seminal piece that Benjamin Millepied once described as one of the most intriguing works featured in the program in all of his years as director of the Paris Opera Ballet.

“Three” is a triptych comprised of three sections: Bellus, Humus, and Sekus. The tripartite theological structure suggests a return to a formal, exposed, everyday foundation of dance. Virtuosity is replaced by the simple movement, by rhythm, and unison, weaving the three sections into a delicate lacework of equilibriums between the empty spaces, silence, and pauses and the body, music, and movement.

Naharin’s language often corresponds with dance’s two central forces: gravity and transience, exploring what can be done with them and within them, and how they can be transformed into an experience that has no words – only sensations. In “Three”, Naharin takes on the basic “operating manual” of choreography, shifting focus to the seemingly simple framework – the number of dancers, composition, spotlights, the music. He reminds us that the convergence of all these together in time and space, as well as their measure and volume, are in fact the elements that generate the magic of the live performance.

“Three” presents dance that is not afraid to be exposed and to expose, which does not apologize for its fragility, humanity, and excess.  A rare glimpse into Naharin’s extensive dance research

* The show contains nudity

Performed by Batsheva Dance Company season 2023-2024: Yarden Bareket, Billy Barry, Yael Ben Ezer, Adi Blumenreich, Nathan Chipps, Matan Cohen, Guy Davidson, Iyar Elezra, Sean Howe, Londiwe Khoza, Adrienne Lipson, Eri Nakamura, Gianni Notarnicola, Danai Porat, Igor Ptashenchuk, Yoni (Yonatan) Simon

Lighting design: Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi)
Costumes: Rakefet Levy, Fittings: Eri Nakamura
Sound Design & Editing: Ohad Fishof
Text about the piece: Shira Vitaly
Music: Bellus: Goldberg Variations, J.S. Bach |Humus: original music by Ohad Fishof | Secus: Chari Chari, Kid 606 + Rayon (mix: Stefan Ferry), AGF, Chronomad (Wahed); Fennesz, Rajesh Roshan, Seefeel, The Beach Boys
Photos : Ascaf

Thank you to Roi Itzhak Halevy for his contribution to the creative process

World Premiere: February 12, 2005 – Suzanne Dellal Centre, Tel Aviv