THE BATSHEVA ENSEMBLE
Naharin's Virus by OHAD NAHARIN
CANCELLED
1:30
In Naharin’s Virus (2001), around fifteen performers from the Batsheva Ensemble surrender to a kind of trance — one born from Peter Handke’s provocative 1966 text Offending the Audience. Spoken, sung, written, and danced, words flood the stage in a masterful composition by choreographer Ohad Naharin.
What is this virus made of, the one that courses through the performers’ bodies — and those of the audience? Is theatre, as a place of representation, no longer just a space of illusion? Does time outside the theatre begin to mirror the time within?
Nearly sixty years after it was written, the Austrian playwright’s text continues to challenge the certainties of an increasingly complex world. Spoken by the dancers, the words are charged with movement — slow and fluid, fast and repetitive, raw and delicate — becoming a physical language of resistance.
A political piece built on traditional music, including that of Palestinian composer Habib Alla Jamal, giving powerful voice to a spirit of protest.
Following discussions between the artistic team of the Batsheva Dance Company and the management of Chaillot and La Villette – in light of the current political context – it was mutually decided to present Naharin’s Virus in place of Anafaza, which was originally scheduled for July 2025.
Featuring the performers of the Batsheva Ensemble – 2024–2025 season Zoe Bayliss Nagar, Zachary Burrows, Jesse Callaert, DanDan Cohen, Victor Duval, Eddieomar Gonzales Castillo, Shira Kestenboum, Larissa Leung, Ori Manor, Maya Marom, Celia Merai, Chase Peterson, Leann Reizer, Kelis Robinson, Noga Sneh and apprentices Amit Ben-Yesh, Roee Mazurik, Naama Morad, Toam Suissa Lighting design Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi) Costume design Rakefet Levy Original music Karni Postel, Habib Alla Jamal, Shama Khader Additional costume design Zohar Shoef Additional music “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber performed by the Kronos Quartet, “I Want” by Paul Stokes & Pete Parsons, “Ug” by Mr. Scruff, “Les Bulles” by Carlos D’Alessio Music consultant Karni Postel Sound editing Frankie Lievaart Text Peter Handke (except for the dancers’ stories) French translation Jean Sigrid Text about the piece Shira Vitaly
Practical information
Grande Halle
Metro
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de Pantin station
Bus
Bus 75, 151 - Porte de Pantin stop
Bike Chap
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Bike racks are available inside the Espace Chapiteaux area. You may leave your electric bike there with the battery attached.
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
- PMR contact au 01 40 03 75 75
- Restauration légère et verre avant le spectacle dans la Grande Halle
- Restauration et verre dans le Parc avant ou après le spectacle
In the press
« Personne ne peut être immunisé contre la charge émotionnelle de la chorégraphie… La calligraphie du corps est stupéfiante… »
New York Times« Le virus de Naharin épouse la réflexion tout en paradoxes et en provocations de Handke. Mais écrit avec les corps, si chargés de vécu et de fragilité, il lui donne également une délicatesse inédite, des accélérations, des suspens, des cris, des déflagrations que le texte ignore. On en suit la progression, fasciné. »
Le Figaro« Naharin’s virus, une pièce d’une force orageuse peu commune d’Ohad Naharin »
La Terrasse« Les danseurs entament une danse traditionnelle répétitive, la main tendue vers le ciel, comme en transe. C'est calme et impressionnant… »
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