Parallel Connections culminated with Ohio State Dance’s and BalletMet’s rousing performance of Minus 16, by renowned Israeli choreographer and Batsheva Dance Company artistic director Ohad Naharin. The work was restaged by former Batsheva Dance Company members Erez Zohar and Danielle Agami. In an article published by The Lantern, BFA Dance student Erin Yen said, “The dance itself is all about imagery and I was really excited to just dive in and find different sensations and find different stories to allow myself to give in to the movements.”
The widely-varied musical score for Minus 16 includes everything from the mambo to traditional Israeli songs and the choreography is rooted in Naharin’s improvisational Gaga technique, which empowers dancers to listen to their senses instead of focusing on creating beauty. “It’s not about the construction of beauty, it’s about the sensation,” said Agami in an interview with forward.com. “Every gesture, posture, and breath is beautiful. Just let your body be.”
