Three

Ohad Naharin returns to “Three”, which he created for the Batsheva Dance Company in 2005 – a seminal piece that Benjamin Millepied once described as one of the most intriguing works featured in the program in all of his years as director of the Paris Opera Ballet.

“Three” is a triptych comprised of three sections: Bellus, Humus, and Sekus. The tripartite theological structure suggests a return to a formal, exposed, everyday foundation of dance. Virtuosity is replaced by the simple movement, by rhythm, and unison, weaving the three sections into a delicate lacework of equilibriums between the empty spaces, silence, and pauses and the body, music, and movement.

Naharin’s language often corresponds with dance’s two central forces: gravity and transience, exploring what can be done with them and within them, and how they can be transformed into an experience that has no words – only sensations. In “Three”, Naharin takes on the basic “operating manual” of choreography, shifting focus to the seemingly simple framework – the number of dancers, composition, spotlights, the music. He reminds us that the convergence of all these together in time and space, as well as their measure and volume, are in fact the elements that generate the magic of the live performance.

“Three” presents dance that is not afraid to be exposed and to expose, which does not apologize for its fragility, humanity, and excess.  A rare glimpse into Naharin’s extensive dance research