Theater and Dance Critics of the Week: Ohad Naharin’s Crack in the World and Annie Teresa de Kersmeeker’s Bittersweet “Blues” | papilla

In the new piece for the Batsheva Dance Company, which was performed Thursday in Lisbon as part of the Almada Festival programme, two choreographies were staged by Ohad Naharin. One, of his own conception, is a meticulous mechanism, personified by four ruthless gymnastics dancers, oblivious to what is happening around them. The other is the true creativity of each of the seven dancers who perform it. Once both were ready, Naharin installed them. While the compact group maintains close contact and takes care of itself, its free peers drift away, extolling their individuality or noting how special each of their six companions is. Putting together two completely different subjects leaves plenty of room for the audience to interpret what’s going on.

Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s dance is almost always associated with classical and contemporary music: there are five of her collaborations with Steve Reich or her works based on Mozart, Mahler and Bartók. Less commonly, he drinks from 20th century folk traditions, as in his new offering, exit above, It recently premiered at the Avignon Festival before embarking on a European tour that will take it to Madrid and Seville next year. The proposal begins with an indigestible accumulation of references to European high culture which, at first, can make one fear the worst: an allusion to storm Shakespeare, another of that painting by Paul Klee in which Walter Benjamin gets to watch The Angel of History. But after this introduction, everything becomes lightness.

You can follow BABELIA on Twitter Facebook And Twitteror register here to receive Weekly newsletter.