Minus 16 is a phenomenal work for all dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater II set to a thrilling musical compilation of cha-cha, mambo and traditional Israeli music. This choreography came about by putting together sections of previous works of Naharin: Zachacha, Anaphase, Sabotage Baby and Moshe.


OHAD NAHARIN

Born in Israel, Ohad Naharin began his dance training with the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv and the Julliard School of Music in New York. After having performed with major dance companies across Europe and the United States, Naharin made his choreographic debut in 1980 in the Kazuko Hirabayashi studio in New York, where he studied and worked with Maggie Black, David Gordon, Gina Buntz and Billy Seigenfeld. In 1990 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Batsheva Dance Company.
In 1987 the Nederlands Dans Theater invited Naharin to be a guest choreographer, thereby being the first European dance company to do so. Today Nederlands Dans Theater has many of his works in its repertoire: Chameleon Dances (1987), Tabula Rasa (1988), Queens of Golub (1989), Innostress (1989), Passomezzo (1989), Sinking of the Titanic (1991), Black Milk, excerpts of Kyr (1992), Off White (1992), Perpetuum (1993), Kaamos (1995), Arbos (1996), Two Short Stories (1997), Diapason (a co-production with the Dutch music theatre ensemble Orkater (1997), Mabul (1998), Minus 16 (1999) and (excerpts of) Z/na.
Naharin’s works are also frequently performed by the Frankfurt Ballett, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Cullberg Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Lyon Opéra Ballet, Finnish National Ballet and Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Naharin has collaborated with various musicians for his works: the Tractor’s Revenge (Kyr), the rock musicians Avi Belleli and Dan Makov (Anaphase), Ivry Oider (Kaamos, Z/na) and Peter Zegveld and Thijs van der Poll (Diapason, Sabotage Baby). For his pieces he uses widely divergent musical sources, ranging from Arvo Pärt and John Zorn to Johan Strauss. Many of Naharin’s works feature live music performed on stage (Z/na, Anaphase, Mabul, Kyr, Diapason, Sabotage Baby).
Naharin works with prominent Israeli designers, including lighting designer Bambi and costume designer Rakefet Levy. He constantly encourages his dancers to explore their own creative resources. His works have been commissioned by Nederlands Dans Theater, Frankfurt Ballett, Opéra National de Paris, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Sydney Dance Company, Lyon Opera Ballet, Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens, Rambert Dance Company, Compañia Nacional de Danza, Cullberg Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian, Balet da Cidade de Sao Paulo and Bayerisches Staatsballett.
“Physically superb, natural musicality, sensuality, boldness and sensitivity,” are a few of the terms critics have used to describe Naharin and his choreography.
“If you could hold one of Ohad Naharin’s dances in your hand, it would feel smooth. Think of a polished stoned, it looks like a piece of sacred sculpture, but hurl it and it becomes a weapon.” Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice

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