Anafaza

The Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin revisits one of his most famous pieces, thirty years after its creation. An expansive playground, Anafaza is a vibrant incarnation of dance as a revolt in the face of illusions.

On stage, over twenty dancers and three musicians, including Ohad Naharin himself, combine their energies to reinvent the Israeli choreographer’s iconic piece, Anaphase. In 1993, on the thirtieth anniversary of the Bathsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin imagined these “small sculptures in a large space.” Set to the hypnotic rhythms of compositions by Iannis Xenakis, Arvo Pärt and Aaron Copland, Anafaza unfolds in three tableaux. Each one targets an illusion to fight: beauty, power, love. From collective whirling to the most striking duet, this performance is a compendium of the language forged by Ohad Naharin for his company, Gaga. Through flexibility of torsos and limbs, explosions and sudden falls, this style proved itself. Anafaza has been an incredible vector for this, attracting more than 300,000 spectators over the decades. Batsheva Dance Company’s new generation of performers invites us to reinvent this classic.