Dancer and choreographer. Born in Kibbutz Mizra to Eliav, a former actor and doctor of psychology and one of the earliest expressive and creative therapists in Israel, and to Tzofia, a former dancer and dance teacher.
After serving in the IDF as a singer and guitar player, he began his training with Batsheva in 1974. During his first year in the company, Martha Graham invited him to New York. During his stay there, Naharin received a scholarship from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and attended the School of American Ballet of New York City Ballet as well as Juilliard, with Margaret (Maggie) Black and David Howard. Later on, he performed for one season with Bat-Dor, with Alvin Ailey’s Dance Company in New York and with Maurice Béjart’s Ballet du XXe siecle in Brussels. In 1980, he staged his first choreography at the Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theatre (KHDT) Studio in New York. During 1980-1990, he staged his choreographies in various places worldwide and was invited to contribute to various companies, including Batsheva, the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) and the Dutch NDT Company. During those years, he created Pas de Pepsi for Batsheva (1981), staged Tabula Rasa (1987), and created Black Milk for the women dancers of KCDC (1985).
Naharin was appointed Batsheva’s artistic director in 1990. In September 2003, he retired from this position, but returned in January 2005 and has retained it ever since. During his years with the Batsheva he choreographed more than twenty dance pieces for the company and ensemble, including: KYR (1990); Queens of Golub (1991); Mabul (1992); Zachacha (1998); Naharin’s Virus (2001); Kamuyot, Mamootot (2003); Three, TELOPHAZA (2005); MAX (2007); Project 5 (2008); Sadeh21 (2011); The Hole (2013).
Many companies worldwide have performed Naharin’s choreographies, including NDT, Frankfurt Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Spanish National Dance Company, Cullberg Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, City Ballet of São Paulo, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (GBCM). Naharin’s rehearsals with Cedar Lake for the restaging of Deca Dance were the subject of Tomer Heymann’s 2007 documentary Out of Focus.
Over the years, Naharin developed the Gaga Movement Language which is used by Batsheva dancers as a daily training method. Gaga is currently taught by certified teachers to dancers and members of the public in Israel and worldwide.
In 2005, Naharin won the Israel Prize for dance. He divided the monetary award between Batsheva’s dancers as a tribute for their contribution to his oeuvre. Naharin won many more awards, including the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government (1998); the EMET Prize for contribution to the advancement of arts in Israel (2009); two New York Dance and Performance, “Bessie” Awards (in 2002 for Naharin’s Virus and in 2004 for Anaphase); the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in dance (2009); and the Dance Magazine Award (2009). He was also nominated Honorary Fellow of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School (2003) and honorary doctor of the Weizmann Institute of Science (2005), Hebrew University (2008) and Juilliard (2013).
Repertoire
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Anafaza 2023
Ohad Naharin
2023 -
MOMO
Ohad Naharin
2022 -
2019
Ohad Naharin
2019 -
Venezuela
Ohad Naharin
2017 -
Last Work
Ohad Naharin
2015 -
Project Secus
Ohad Naharin
2014 -
The Hole
Ohad Naharin
2013 -
DECA’LE
Ohad Naharin
2012 - Load More
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Sadeh21
Ohad Naharin
2011 -
Session
Ohad Naharin
2011 -
Hora
Ohad Naharin
2009 -
B olero
Ohad Naharin
2008 -
Project 5
Ohad Naharin
2008 -
MAX
Ohad Naharin
2007 -
Seder
Ohad Naharin
2007 -
George & Zalman
Ohad Naharin
2006 -
Telophaza
Ohad Naharin
2006 -
Furo
Ohad Naharin and Tabaimo
2006 -
Three
Ohad Naharin
2005 -
Kamuyot
Ohad Naharin
2003 -
Mamootot
Ohad Naharin
2003 -
INK
Sharon Eyal
2002 -
Plastelina
Ohad Naharin
2001 -
Naharin’s Virus
Ohad Naharin
2001 -
DECADANCE
Ohad Naharin
2000 -
Moshe
Ohad Naharin
1999 -
Quatations 1-9
Ohad Naharin
1999 -
ZACHACHA
Ohad Naharin
1998 -
Prelude
Claire Laure Berthier
1997 -
Two short stories
Ohad Naharin
1997 -
Yag
Ohad Naharin
1996 -
Paselet Hachalomot
Anna Waisman
1995 -
Video Dance 1995
Artistic Directors: Naomi Perlov, Ohad Naharin
1995 -
Kaamos
Ohad Naharin
1995 -
E-132 White
Lara Barsacq
1995 -
Z/na
Ohad Naharin
1995 -
Video Dance 1994
Artistic Directors: Naomi Perlov, Ohad Naharin
1994 -
PART, DANCE (Dance Party)
Ohad Naharin
1994 -
Opening Ceremony
Ohad Naharin
1993 -
Perpetuum
Ohad Naharin
1993 -
Anaphase
Ohad Naharin
1993 -
Mabul
Ohad Naharin
1992 -
Arbos
Ohad Naharin
1991 -
Queens of Golub
Ohad Naharin
1991 -
Passomezzo
Ohad Naharin
1991 -
60 A Minute
Ohad Naharin
1990 -
KYR
Ohad Naharin
1990 -
Black Milk
Ohad Naharin
1990 -
Sinking of the Titanic
Ohad Naharin
1990 -
King of Wara
Ohad Naharin
1990 -
Tabula Rasa
Ohad Naharin
1987 -
Inostress
Ohad Naharin
1983 -
Interim
Ohad Naharin
1981 -
In Common
Ohad Naharin
1981 -
Haru No Umi
Ohad Naharin
1981 -
Pas de Pepsi
Ohad Naharin
1981 -
Memories
Mirali Sharon
1976 -
Dream
Martha Graham
1974 -
Adam & Eve
Oshra Elkayam Ronen
1965
Photos
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Ohad Naharin | Photo: Gadi Dagon -
Mari Kajiwara, Ohad Naharin | Photo: Johan Elbers -
Mari Kajiwara, Ohad Naharin | Photo: Johan Elbers -
Ohad Naharin | Photo: Yoram Rubin -
Ohad Naharin | Photo: Yoram Rubin -
Tamar Tzafrir, Ohad Naharin, 1975 | Photo: Jacob Agor -
Tamar Tzafrir, Ohad Naharin, 1975 | Photo: Jacob Agor -
Tamar Tzafrir, Oshra Elkayam Ronen, Ohad Naharin, 1975 (Rehearsal) | Photo: Jacob Agor
Films & Audio
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Kamuyot Trailer -
2019 Trailer - Load More
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Ohad Naharin - Emet Prize 2009 in the field of Culture and Arts -
Ohad Naharin - American Dance Festival -
Naharin's Virus Trailer -
Yag trailer -
Max trailer -
Venezuela Trailer -
The Hole Trailer -
Last Work trailer -
Ohad Naharin - Honorary Doctorate Recipient at BGU's 49th Board of Governors Meeting