Review: KAMUYOT (Ohad Naharin / Charlotte Ballet / Fall for Dance North)

Kicking off this year's Fall for Dance North festival is Ohad Naharin's KAMUYOT, a work that offers an immediate departure from the conventional audience-performer dynamics we've come to expect. Performed by the athletic and committed dancers of the Charlotte Ballet, the work situates the audience directly amidst the dancers, inviting closeness without pressure in a playful, immersive, and inviting collective dance experience.

If you've yet to get acquainted with Ohad Naharin, now is the time—this prominent figure in contemporary dance, previously the longtime Artistic Director and now the House Choreographer for Batsheva Dance Company, is the innovator behind Gaga movement language. Gaga is a technique and pedagogy that's as intriguing as its name, with a recent documentary available for those who want to delve deeper. The show, whose title means "quantities" in Hebrew, encapsulates Naharin's artistic innovations, offering a forty five minute whirlwind of beautiful choreography and connections between performers and audiences.

Before delving deeper into the choreography, let's set the aesthetic scene. Forget about a proscenium stage and elaborate lighting; here, the performance takes place in the round—really, in a square—as audience members sit on leveled benches to catch the action. The dancers continually shift directions, offering every audience member a different and personalized vantage point with no bad seat in the house.

The dancers are clad in an eclectic mix of kilts, plaid pants and layers of colourful yet ripped leggings, tights, and fishnets. All the while, the sound design never stops shifting. It's an auditory trip, sampling everything from video game-like compositions to Austin Powers-esque elevator music.

The absence of traditional stage lighting draws the audience's focus solely on the community and space in the room. You can watch the audience as much as you can watch the dancers. Yet, you're never confused about who the dancers are, thanks to their pure strength, beautiful technique, and performance abilities.

The sixteen performers start by sitting amongst the audience, chatting with those closest. They continue to return to the benches throughout the performance, shifting their spots. I enjoyed watching not just the dancers on stage but those sitting in the audience as others performed. You can see their kinesthetic empathy for their fellow performers as they bop and move in their spots before jumping back into the action, adding another beautiful layer to the performance.

In terms of choreography, the work delivers a tightly-knit spectacle. Imagine full-bodied unison sequences laced with acrobatics and rhythmic body percussion solos—impressive feats made even more remarkable given the movement's constantly changing facings and directions. There is a little bit of everything from intimate hand gesture sequences to full on whole group lifts throughout the work.

As an audience member, you might find yourself drawn physically into the piece, from small gestures like handshakes and eye contact with the dancers, to being pulled into the stage space to help create the scenery needed for the next solo sequence. These interactions last only a few seconds, so no need to worry if you're shy like me. Yet, involving the audience in shaping these spatial dynamics creates a truly unique moment, especially as you see smiles spread across the faces of the remaining audience wondering if they will be chosen next.

My final notebook scribble for the performance is "no notes." From the choreography, to the connection with the audience, to the strength and skill of the dancers, KAMUYOT is a fantastic experience. Even at just fourty-five minutes in length, it packs a lasting and unique punch.

KAMUYOT, presented as part of the Fall for Dance North festival, is playing at the Ada Slaight Hall at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East) from September 26th, 2023, to September 30th, 2023, at various times. All tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online here.

Ffdnorth.com 
Facebook: @fallfordancenorth and Instagram and Twitter: @ffdnorth

Ohad Naharin / Batsheva Dance Company
Facebook and Instagram: @batshevadancecompany

The Charlotte Ballet
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @CLTballet

Photo by Gadi Dagon of the Dancers of Batsheva Dance Company performing KAMUYOT by Ohad Naharin.

Written by Deanne Kearney
DeanneKearney.com @deannekearney