- 1 יצירה — סטודיו — במה - - 2015 AnnuAl RepoRt BAtShevA DAnce דוח שנתי compAny להקת מחול בת־שבע )ע״ר( - ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - -- 33 יצירה — סטודיו — במה יצירה — Remarks סטודיו — במהOpening 2 - -- Dear Batsheva community members, the city for young audiences, including 32 morning performances for some 9,000 children and youth in schools all over the country. In 2015, Batsheva marked 25 years of artistic management by Ohad Naharin. During that time, Ohad and the Company have attained One of Batsheva’s characteristics as an international dance company extraordinary artistic achievements and gained world renown. Ohad is the number of foreign dancers. This characteristic contributes Naharin is a prolific artist of boundless energies, constantly surprising immensely to its unique spirit and achievements. Nevertheless, a and innovating. Thus, last June the Company premiered Ohad’s new series of laws designed to restrict the employment of non-citizens which was received enthusiastically by audiences ,״Last Work״ ,piece in Israel, motivated by the need to regulate the job market as a and performed for full houses. Almost 30,000 spectators saw the whole, make it difficult for the foreign dancers to remain in Israel and piece last year, both in Israel and abroad. obstructs the Company both artistically and economically. Over the past year, Batsheva offered financial compensation to foreign dancers One of Batsheva’s guidelines is the diversity of production it offers its affected by changes in income tax regulations, and at the same time audiences. Together with Ohad Naharin’s works, last December the initiated an amendment to the 1952 Entry to Israel Law. This proposed Batsheva Ensemble performed Danielle Agami’s newest piece, amendment may eventually change attitudes towards foreign ”And Still“. The Ensemble also performed Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s dancers and performers in general. ”BILL“, in a fresh and exciting version. During the past year as well, Batsheva managed to raise about The Company’s constant reinvention is also expressed in changes a quarter of its budget from donations by its friends and loyal in its composition. During the last season, five new dancers joined supporters. However, the building of its new home in the Neve Batsheva, including three who “stepped up” from the Young Sha’anan Arts Center requires fundraising on a much larger scale, Ensemble, which also celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. even considering the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality’s generous support Recall that the Young Ensemble had been created by Ohad Naharin for the project. This challenge requires Batsheva to develop new upon his arrival at Batsheva in order to train youngsters, promote resource development capabilities both in Israel and abroad, and to talent and cultivate a new audience, and it has been steadfastly find and cultivate new sponsors and supporters. We are confident in loyal to this important mission. In recent years, it has even exceeded this project’s success and of the continued support of the Company’s expectations by demonstrating a degree of professionalism typical longstanding and loyal friends. of mature and adult companies. The Ensemble put on 67 evening performances in Israel and 18 abroad. Among other things, it I congratulate Batsheva and the entire community of its friends and premiered ”Decadance“ in New York to high critical acclaim. supporters and wish all of us that this year will be as exciting and successful as the previous one. In recent years, public discourse has been preoccupied with cultivating Israel’s socio-geographical periphery. Batsheva is no exception: for many years, it has been performing for diverse audiences throughout the country, and considers it a calling to offer contemporary dance to remote rural areas where audiences have little exposure to this art form. In 2015, about a quarter of the Ittamar Givton, Company’s performances in Israel were held outside Tel Aviv, and of Chair of the Board all spectators during that year, about 40% were from towns other Cover: "Last Work" by Ohad Naharin, 2015. Center: Shamel Pitts Center: Naharin, 2015. Ohad by Cover: "Last Work" than Tel Aviv. The Ensemble also performed frequently outside BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - - 5 יצירה — סטודיו — במה יצירה — Remarks סטודיו — במהOpening 4 - - Dear friends, This annual report requires us to pause and review the past year. This always seems very distant because we are constantly in the midst of an intensive present, where many things happen simultaneously. Pausing, however, offers an opportunity to look back, and this was a year of very good work in the studio, onstage and in the office, a year of refinement and improvement, with many moments of beauty and quality. The good review of 2015 belongs to everyone – the dancers and artistic staff, the administrative and technical teams, members of the public council and board, the loyal donors who believe in us and in our vision, and the large audiences supporting us, here in our city and throughout the country and the world. Together with our artistic activities, two significant and noteworthy events occurred this past year. The first is related to the dancers’ welfare – which is always a top priority for us – and involves mainly a long-awaited raise in the senior company dancers’ salaries. This move was enabled by an extraordinarily generous donation dedicated to this specific purpose. Another touching show of support enabled us to protect the wages of our foreign dancers, after a cruel amendment in income tax regulations applicable to migrant workers affected their bottom line. The second important development is the considerable progress in the project of building us a home of our own, the Neve Sha’anan Arts Campus. We are delighted to inform you that the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality joined the project as a full partner. According to Mayor Ron Huldai: “The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has made tremendous efforts in recent years to stimulate urban renewal in Neve Sha’anan and, sees culture as an important catalyst for such growth. We hope that the establishment of the Batsheva Campus, the home of one of our most important artistic and cultural institutions, will generate diverse and international artistic activity of the highest level, alongside social and educational activities to benefit the residents of this neighborhood, the district, and the city at large”. We are now at the start of the process of raising funds for this project and are excited to continue and intensify our cooperation with the various municipal authorities towards its realization. Happy days, by Ohad Naharin, 2015. Dancers: Or Meir Schraiber, Olivia Ancona Olivia Or Meir Schraiber, Dancers: Naharin, 2015. Ohad by Last Work Last Dina Aldor Ohad Naharin Adi Salant General Director Artistic Director Co-Artistic Director Right: BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - - 6 Creation — Studio — Stage Creation — Studio — Stage 7 - - During Batsheva’s 51st season, the senior company performed Last woRk 2015 a new, full-length piece by Ohad Naharin: Last Work. The Young Ensemble performed a new and original piece, by ohad nahariN And Still, a new commission by Danielle Agami. pRemieRe: June 2015 —peRfoRmeD By 18 BAtShevA dancers — 65 minuteS without inteRmiSSion — lighting DeSign: Avi yonA Bueno (BAmBi) — coStume DeSign: Eri NakAmura — oRiginAl muSic: GriShA LICHTENBeRGER — SounDtrack eDiting: Maxim Waratt Since its first staging, Last Work has been identified by many as another masterpiece in Naharin’s oeuvre. The Dresden and Montpellier festivals joined as co-producers in staging this piece, and it was performed in those festivals immediately after its Israeli premieres. Last Work was also supported by the New Works Fund of the American Friends of Batsheva. It was met by the audience with enthusiasm, both in live performances and social media, and was subsequently invited to multiple performances abroad in the 2016-17 seasons. “The finest work i can remember is Last Work... It is the one that outshines all the others in its uniqueness, freshness and depth”. ,GAllery SuPPlement ,״Summary Of thiS year iN CulTure״ ,Ruth Eshel Zinchenko, Omri Drumlevich Zinchenko, ( Haaretz, September 2015 Natalya ) “This piece is breathtaking for the extraordinary dancing by the Batsheva dancers, and the way Mr. Naharin can evoke states of pleasure, pain, madness and a kind of animality – a sheer state of being in the body – through his movement” ROSlyn Sulcas, NEw York Times, June 2015 Total number of spectators in Israel and abroad in 2015: 28,609 In Tel Aviv: 11,819 Outside Tel Aviv: 6,130 Abroad: 10,660 by Ohad Naharin, 2015. Dancers: Zina Naharin, 2015. Dancers: Ohad by — — Last Work Left: Left: BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - - 9 יצירה — סטודיו — במה Creation — Studio — Stage 8 - - BILL 2010 AnD Still 2015 by Sharon Eyal by DaniEllE AGAMi and GAi Behar And Still pRemieRe: DecemBeR 2015 — peRfoRmeD By 18 young enSemBle dancers — 30 minuteS — lighting DeSign: Avi yonA Bueno (BAmBi) — coStume DeSign: Eri NakAmura — StAge DeSign: AmiR RAveh Bill peRfoRmeD By 18 young enSemBle dancers — 30 minuteS —lighting DeSign: Avi yonA Bueno (BAmBi) — oRiginAl muSic AnD SounDtrack: Fraiman Korina Dancer: 2015. Agami, Danielle by oRi lichtik, Sharon eyAl, AnD gAi Behar — coStume DeSign: Sharon eyAl AnD gAi Behar And Still Danielle Agami was invited by Ohad Naharin to create a new work on Right: Batsheva – the Young Ensemble, And Still. Agami danced with Batsheva between 2002-2010. In 2007-2009 she produced the Batsheva Dancers Create series, and served as Rehearsal Director for the senior company in 2008-2010. Agami later moved to New York, where she was put in charge of Gaga USA. She has been invited to create works throughout the world, most recently by White Bird Music Center Los Angeles and the Industry Opera. In 2012 she founded her own dance company ATE9 in Seattle, realizing in full her unique artistic voice as a dancer, creator, and teacher.