Staatsballett Berlin shows Eyal and Naharin
A new double-bill from the Staatsballett Berlin "Minus 16 / Saaba" presents 2 contemporary pieces from Israeli-born choreographers: Sharon Eyal, who is well-known in Europe and beloved by the company (this work marks her 4th collaboration with the Staatsballett Berlin), and Ohad Naharin, a modern philosopher and practitioner of gaga – a unique dance type that promotes the idea of free, joyful movement.
Eyal’s "Saaba" follows her signature style to a "T": the accents, the choice of the musical score, the development of the choreography and its key repetitions of the steps – all label this piece as quintessentially Eyal. While these elements make the work instantly recognizable, they also lend it a sense of predictability, even monotony. What once may have felt like a astonishing revelation to the audience, now comes across as an attempt to revisit, refine, and reiterate familiar concepts that have worked in the past. Eyal’s fans might argue that even the great master Petipa used to repeat his own ideas again and again but it does not diminish his (and her?) talent.
While "Saaba" remains true to Eyal’s core ideas, it offers little new or unexpected, leaving some to question whether it is evolving or merely retracing old ground. What has to be emphasised here: as always, Eyal highlights the beauty and the strength of the human body, celebrating its powerful dynamics and the capacity to shape the pulsating reality in front of us. In this piece, the choice of the music and the costumes designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, a creative director of Dior, contribute to the overall positive impressions of the ballet.
"Minus 16" by Ohad Naharin leaves a more tangible impact as this work based on thr excerpts of other Naharin’s ballets contains a variety of music styles, moods, and dance forms within itself. The piece features a powerful and striking group dance with the chairs resembling a meditation or a tribe ritual, free-style humorous solo improvisations with the voiceovers from the soloists, an invitation to the audience to share a dance together in an energetic party, and a great curtain call blast that follows after.
The management of the company probably did not want to make this piece seem political, since no translation was offered from the Hebrew in the opening scene ("Who knows one? I know one. One is our God in Heaven and Earth"), however, despite this, it is still hard to oversee powerful messages about the strength and resilience of the Jewish nation that lie between the lines. The struggle and suffering culminate in an optimistic point at which people of different generations and cultural backgrounds come together on one stage to have the time of their life.
Upcoming performances: https://www.staatsballett-berlin.de/spielplan.html
Text: Julia Pneva
Photo: Admill Kuyer
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