The Joyce Presents BATSHEVA - THE YOUNG ENSEMBLE

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is thrilled to present Batsheva - The Young Ensemble, under the artistic direction of internationally renowned choreographer Ohad Naharin, from July 10-22. During this two-week engagement, Batsheva - The Young Ensemble will perform Mr. Naharin's 2002 acclaimed, Bessie Award-winning piece Naharin's Virus. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$86, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at (212) 242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.

The energetic and stunning dancers of Batsheva - The Young Ensemble return to The Joyce Theater for the first time since 2015 to perform Artistic Director Ohad Naharin's acclaimed 2002 work Naharin's Virus. Inspired by Austrian writer Peter Handke's play Offending the Audience and originally created in collaboration with dancers from Batsheva Dance Company, Narahin's Virusemploys Mr. Naharin's smooth, seductive, and infectious aesthetic, based on Gaga, the revolutionary movement language he created in the 1990s. An exploration into the boundaries of language, the piece is set to a unique soundtrack that includes classical music and recorded text from Offending the Audience, as well as original music by Karni Postel, and several adaptations of traditional Arabic music by Habib Alla Jamal and Chama Khader.

ABOUT BATSHEVA - THE YOUNG ENSEMBLE

Batsheva - The Young Ensemble was founded by Ohad Naharin in 1990 when he joined Batsheva Dance Company as Artistic Director out of an interest in nurturing creative processes, mentoring young dancers, and developing young audiences in Israel. Its unique framework comprises independent choreographic support, rigorous studio training, domestic and international touring, and an exemplary school outreach program. The temporary nature of the program's two-year structure colors it with a wide range of emotions, inspiring the dancers to make the most of their experience and make a significant impact on both their own practices and the execution of Naharin's choreography. Each year nearly 400 dancers from around the world travel to Batsheva's home at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv for Ensemble auditions. The Batsheva senior company is composed almost entirely of Young Ensemble graduates.

ABOUT OHAD NAHARIN

Ohad Naharin is a choreographer, the Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company, and creator of the Gaga movement language. He was born in 1952 in Mizra, Israel. Naharin's mother is a choreographer, dance teacher, and Feldenkrais instructor, and his father was an actor and psychologist. He joined Batsheva Dance Company in 1974 despite having little formal training. During his first year, guest choreographer Martha Graham invited him to join her own company in New York. Between 1975 and 1976, Naharin studied at the School of American Ballet, The Juilliard School, and with Maggie Black and David Howard. He then joined Maurice Béjart's Ballet du XXe Siecle in Brussels for one season. Naharin made his choreographic debut at the Kazuko Hirabayshi studio in 1980 and continued to create and present work around the world for the next ten years until he was appointed Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company in 1990 and established the company's junior division, Batsheva - the Young Ensemble that same year. In addition to his stage work, Naharin also developed Gaga, an innovative movement language based on research into heightening sensation and imagination, becoming aware of form, finding new movement habits, and going beyond familiar limits. Gaga is the daily training of Batsheva's dancers and has spread globally among both dancers and non-dancers.

ABOUT THE Joyce Theater Foundation

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 400 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also presented dance at Lincoln Center since 2012, and launched Joyce Unleashed in 2014 to feature emerging and experimental artists. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (K-12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce's annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 150,000.

Performances of Batsheva - The Young Ensemble will be July 10-22 at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street) as follows: Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:30pm: Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm; and Sundays at 2pm. There will be a post-performanceCurtain Chat with members of Batsheva - The Young Ensemble on Wednesday, July 11, open to all patrons attending that evening's performance. Tickets range in price from $10-$86 and can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at (212) 242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.