A Conversation with Batsheva Dancer Seth Gibson
By Mary Grossman

AFB (Mary Grossman): Hi, Seth. I’m glad that you’re in Tel Aviv, and I’m really jealous I’m not there.

Seth Gibson (Batsheva Ensemble Dancer): I’m really happy to be here too.

AFB: Where are you from? Where were you born?

Gibson: I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. I am a part of a pretty big Jewish family. I had a lot of Jewish family in Memphis, and that was a big part of growing up. So it’s pretty surreal to be in Israel alone, but also to be in Israel dancing. It’s pretty crazy that this is where I’ve ended up.

AFB: Have you been to Israel before?

Gibson: I came around my bar mitzvah. I was almost 13 but I didn’t come to Tel Aviv. We just did Jerusalem, and I think maybe we did pass through Tel Aviv for like a day. So Tel Aviv is like all new to me.

AFB: What has your dance journey been like? How did you end up here as a dancer?

Gibson: I started dancing at four at Studio B Dance in Germantown, Tennessee. Around age 10, I began competing, and by high school I knew I wanted to pursue dance seriously. I moved to a more competitive studio, Studio 413, and began taking classes at Ballet Memphis to strengthen my ballet training for college auditions.

I was accepted to Juilliard, where the past four years completely opened my eyes to what dance can be. That’s where I discovered Gaga and learned about Batsheva. During my second year, Juilliard performed Fugue and Crimson, a work by Bobbi Jene Smith and performed by the Batsheva Ensemble in 2022. I was just completely blown away by the work. I stayed in close touch with Bobbi after that. She became a mentor to me.

I auditioned at a lot of places, but Gaga and Batsheva always felt like home in my body. It’s what ignites me the most and gets me the most excited about dance. It was just a really surreal moment to be accepted into the Ensemble.

AFB: There are two other Juilliard graduates with you in the Ensemble, right?

Gibson: Yes. Joey Gertin graduated in 2024, and, funny enough, we were double-cast in the same role in Fugue and Crimson. Daniel Paula graduated in 2025, and we lived together at Juilliard. It’s surreal that all three of us were accepted at the same time, and now we’re living together in Tel Aviv.

AFB: Israel is obviously a contentious issue right now. How have your friends and family felt about your decision to move to Tel Aviv?

Gibson: My family is Jewish, so we have a connection to Israel. They’ve been very supportive and excited for me, while understandably nervous. We also have family friends and cousins here, which helps.

My parents came with me when I moved, and seeing them feel confident about me being here helped me feel more secure, too. There’s never really an easy time to move to Israel. You just have to dive into it.

I also think there’s something important about experiencing Israel firsthand, living here, seeing what’s happening, and meeting the people. I’m sure it will shift my perspective, and I’m excited to experience the country from the ground.

AFB: Did you lose any friends or have anyone criticize you for moving to Israel?

Gibson: I’ve definitely felt some shifts in friendships, mostly with friends who aren’t dancers. My dance friends understand the pull of Batsheva and what it means in the dance world. Some of my non-dance friends back home in Memphis don’t really understand my choice.

As an artist, sometimes the art has to come before certain life choices. This opportunity is simply too important to pass up.

AFB: You’ve only been in Tel Aviv for three weeks, but do you have a Tel Aviv hack yet?

Gibson: For produce and fresh foods, the markets and the shuk are incredible. They can be crazy and chaotic, but I’ve gotten the best fruit, nuts, breads and other things from HaCarmel Market and Levinsky Market.

AFB: What shows are you working on? When does the season open?

Gibson: We’ve been working on Kamuyot and Decadance. Our first show is September 16, and then Decadance is soon after that. Later in the season, we’re doing a triple bill of Tabula Rasa, Black Milk, and George & Zalman. We’re also doing Anafaza in December. So it’s a heavy, heavy fall, but it’s going to be a lot of exciting performances.