In one moment, the 20-something-year-old boys swish their hips and roll their bodies, in a feminine way that might have felt humorous if their movements weren’t executed with such mesmerizing perfection and professionalism. They simultaneously look strange and perfectly natural, with an expression difficult to categorize – unclear whether they seem more soft and sensitive, confident and poised, silly or beautiful.
In another moment, Batsheva’s Young Ensemble of girls and boys dance with mouths wide open, setting a deeply unnerving vibe, before chasing each other across the stage screaming. It’s hard to miss the perplexing array of different connotations that sweep across the subconscious as boys chase girls, girls chase boys, and every movement before and after throughout the piece.
© Askaf
Roy Assaf’s choreography forces us to face our gendered perceptions; he digs up our deep-seeded feelings and judgements, scattering them in our minds. The piece is packed with evocative and moving choreography, flowing quickly from one curious scene to the next. Each lingers enough to provoke a variety of emotional reactions and a slew of initial confounding thoughts. But before we can make concrete sense of any of it, the next movement sweeps us into a new mental space, exposing more of our intricate web of perceptions as well as our inability to comprehensively draw any simple or general conclusions on the topic.
The 25 dancers explore gender archetypes and politics through a diverse combination of forms. What surprisingly used to be two separate evening-long works about girls and then boys, Assaf’s revisiting of Boys & Girls with the Batsheva Young Ensemble weaves together all-female moments, all-male moments, and lots of intriguing interactions. The playful dynamic emphasizes our perception of each gender through its relationship to the other.
© Askaf
In one scene, the boys repeat the exact routine the girls previously performed, compelling us to realize how differently the same actions might appear on a girl’s body versus a boy’s. In another scene, one dancer repeats a movement as another joins with a counteracting repetitive movement, completely changing our perception of the first dancer’s actions. In a sequence of repetitive actions with constantly reforming connotations, viewers witness how a dancer’s surroundings influence the dancer’s image.
The choreography is consistently charged with powerful references to gender in society, identity, and sexism, without ever overtly focusing on one specific issue at a time. One feels the vulnerability, strength, beauty, and ugliness of both genders in many unique ways throughout the performance, often simultaneously. Assaf never simplifies the topic or pretends there is any one clear and easy idea to take away. To get the most out of it, make sure to bring a friend ready to dive into discussion over your post-performance drink or dessert.
© Askaf
Explore how gender influences your perception at the Suzanne Dellal Center this April. For more information, check out the event HERE.