I went to see the Batsheva Dance Company’s "Telophaza", the troupe’s second performance in Japan and the first in 11 years (2/3 at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall). The stage was crowded with a total of 35 artists who presented well-rehearsed dance to music ranging from simple blues to cutting-edge electronica sounds. There were of course solos and scenes with just a few dancers, but this company comes across most overwhelming when all members perform together. It was another satisfactory product of artistic Director Ohad Naharin’s work.

 

Excellent were also the effectively used imagery and the seemingly rather simple set, composed of four 3x5m screens in the back, and several grey-covered partition walls underneath the screens and along both wings. The dancers appeared out of gaps between these walls, and after finishing their performance disappeared again through the same gaps. The wall separating Israel from Palestine was erected in 2003, and "Telophaza" world-premiered in 2005. That was shortly after the wall had been torn down, which resulted in an influx of people from Gaza into Egypt, so even the most obtuse viewer must have felt something when watching the performance at the time.

 

I wouldn't say that the piece is regardable because of its political suggestiveness. A flyer that was distributed at the venue contained a text by self-professed　"writer/slipshod dance critic" Norikoshi Takao, reading as follows. "Israel has diverse political problems, but Naharin makes in his works no open political statements. Sometimes he particularly emphasizes that a certain piece is not political." However, the deliberate author adds in parentheses, "But the fact that one can read a lot into them nonetheless makes these pieces so exquisite."

 

I won't go further into details of this problem here, and the above introduction is about all I'll say about the actual performance. What I'd like to focus on is Norikoshi’s writing, which I consider to be a perfect example for a text to be published in the form of a flyer for a dance performance. Below are some excerpts from the 3000-character article printed on a A5-sized spread.

 

"Dance from Israel is leading in the world today, […] with Ohad Naharin and his Batsheva Dance Company being an exceptional figure."

 

"A combination of overwhelming physical skills, and Naharin’s choreography that seems to be emerging out of totally different spheres" "Dance based on the 'gaga' training method that Naharin developed himself" "The wide range of movement of the dancers' limbs from a half-crouching position, and the broadness of the instantaneously emerging ideas, are truly amazing."

 

"For those who remember 'Anaphaza' (which was previously shown in Japan), the group performance in 'Telophaza' may look like a more sophisticated version." "Simply put, what makes dance in a group so fascinating to watch is the sight of a large number of dancers on a large stage, and the physiological pleasure of movement in unison." "It’s slightly different with the group dance in 'Telophaza'. There are many dancers, but they keep doing small things, moving in small shivers." "synchronizing movement in unison with music is what Naharin is particularly good at." "He does the funniest things in the coolest manner."

 

Then there’s the aforementioned "Israel has diverse political…" passage, followed by a sentence emphasizing the splendor of "being filled with joy" when "this body living here and now just dances." The article closes with a comment that in my view is slightly too humanistic, but as the text is by a writer with the "pride of a critic" (from his blog) and "on risk" (see above), I don't want to complain. Norikoshi’s counterargument (dated 2007/2/1) responding a reader’s comment on "Israeli politics" in the same blog is worth reading as well. Coming from a critic who traveled all the way to Israel "at the risk of [his] life in the face of terrorism", Norikoshi’s words have special importance.

 

Back to the flyer text. This kind of media is supposed to function first and foremost as a guide for viewers, and in the case of this flyer, this is fulfilled in just proportion. The above quotes are from what looks like a textbook example of a systematic description, touching step-by-step upon "the position of dance in Israel today", "the position of the Batsheva Dance Company", and "the company’s characteristics and those of (the group dance in) 'Telophaza'." Thanks to this structure, it is a text that provide accurate information even to those without background knowledge, and helps them avoid missing the highlights through memorable,short and precise hints. The author critic stoically restricts himself to "criticism", and to drawing an additional line in his function as a guide. There is no excessive analyzing and no meddlesome revealing of what’s to be discovered,so the reader/viewer can embark on the exciting journey of watching a performance with only the required minimum of equipment.

 

I learned fom Norikoshi that a shot review of "Telophaza" is going to appear in "DDD" magazine. Although it is hard to distinguish,in my opinion a writer must be aware of the difference between flyers and other info material, and critical media such as magazines, and then choose his writing style according to the medium he writes for. In other words, he purposes of journalism and criticism are different, and Norikoshi, author of the great "Contemporary Dance Tettei Guide" (Sakuhinsha), is one of those few writers who know exactly what they do. He is contributing less to RT than he used to, but I hope he'll continue to write for us.

Ozaki Tetsuya / Editor in chief / REALTOKYO