Batsheva Performs “Max” at BAM
March 6, 2009
Batsheva dancers in Max, photo by Gadi Dagon
In Ohad Naharin’s Max, which had its NYC premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Wednesday evening, ten dancers move fluidly from striking gestural language to full-bodied, kinetic movement; from tight clusters to chaos spread throughout the stage; from speed to stillness. The piece explores the pains and pleasures of being alive. With the exception of one sinister grin from the entire cast, Naharin does not rely on facial expressions to reveal emotion. The layering of movement, sound, and lighting are at the heart of this structurally rich and intensely mesmerizing work.
Max is less theatrical than some of his other works, such as Decadance and Telophaza. There is no narrative, the stage is bare, and the dancers wear simple black shorts and earth-toned tank tops. Movement cues come from jarring, high-pitched noise, the sound of uneven breathing, thunder, silence, and most prominently, Naharin chanting in unfamiliar languages (or perhaps it’s simply gibberish). This chanting often sounds like a numeric recitation, which fuels the repetition and accumulation of movement phrases that include both simple gestures and sensual, full-bodied shifts and thrusts. Although Naharin’s voice is initially monotonous, it becomes more forceful as the string of movement builds. The layering effect is thrilling: one dancer’s phrases – seemingly straightforward on their own – are perceived as more complex when accompanied by the other dancers’ respective movement phrases. The whole stage sweeps from one extreme to another in the flash of an eye.
photo by Gadi Dagon
Instead of creating transitions with movement – which can often feel forced – Naharin marks them with blackouts. The effect is refreshing and suggests that Naharin does not feel compelled to make connections between one sequence and another. A quirky duet between two dancers lit in green fades into an individual’s exploration of her limbs and the space around them, which is replaced with the full ensemble moving in lush, vigorous strides across the stage under deep red light. In all of Naharin’s choreography, the dancers display internal awareness along with an understanding of their surroundings; their collective and individual presence is palpable. Max is powerful for its honest exploration of extremes, free of flourishes and theatrics.
[...] “Batsheva Performs MAX at BAM” – Evan at Dancing Perfectly Free [...]
[...] 8, 2009 Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, which just concluded performances of Ohad Naharin’s Max at BAM, drew anti-Israel protesters last week demanding that people boycott Israel and all aspects of [...]
The academic and cultural boycott of Israel is vital not only to support the Palestinians from the continuing Israeli assault and theft of land but to end the apartheid system which is currently being put in place in the State of Israel. The threat of terrorism will only increase as long as the U.S. supports these Israeli policies.
Richard, I respect your opinion, but I do not agree with it. Human rights abuses occur in many countries around the world, but we don’t necessarily boycott their academic and cultural institutions. Under the Bush administration, would it have been just for countries around the world to boycott American artists because of the US’s human rights abuses? Support for Israel’s policies is entirely separate from support for Israeli arts and culture.
[...] I had a fabulous experience with Gaga last spring and have seen Batsheva perform several times (most recently in Max at BAM), but Naharin tends to shy away from the spotlight. The screening of Out of Focus is a unique [...]
[...] Batsheva Dance Company’s MAX at Brooklyn Academy of Music: Ohad Naharin’s piece for ten dancers layered movement, sound, and lighting to create a heavily structured, non-theatrical work. Naharin’s chanting, in what sounded like gibberish, was a powerful guide throughout the work. [...]