Ten dancers in white shirts and black pants seated on chairs in a line, leaning forward with one arm raised. Discarded black jackets on the floor in front of them.

Repertory

Minus 16

CHOREOGRAPHER

COMPANY PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2011

WORLD PREMIERE

Nederlands Dans Theater 2, The Hague, Netherlands, 1999

LIGHTING

Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi)

RESTAGING

Danielle Agami

MUSIC

Various artists (see below)

COSTUMES

Ohad Naharin

CELEBRATING MARI KAJIWARA (1951-2001)

Ailey company member (1970-1984) and late wife of Ohad Naharin

RUN TIME

36 Minutes

Featuring an eclectic score ranging from Dean Martin to mambo, techno to traditional Israeli music, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 uses improvisation and Naharin’s acclaimed “Gaga” method, a unique movement language that breaks down old habits, pushing the dancers to challenge themselves in new ways.  

The work is unique in the Company repertory for removing the barrier between performers and spectators, inviting audience members onstage to participate in the finale. Having spectators join in brings an element of unpredictability and fun that makes each performance of Minus 16 delightfully different. Former Artistic Director Robert Battle recalled one performance when a woman lost her wig onstage. “When the dancer who was her partner whispered ‘I’m so sorry’ she said, ‘I’m 70 years old and having the time of my life.’” 

Minus 16 is based on excerpts from other works in Naharin’s repertory, including Mabul (1992), Anaphaza (1993), and Zachacha (1998). The work includes “Echad Mi Yodea” (“Who Knows One?”), one of Naharin’s most notable compositions, set to a rock version of the song from the Passover Haggadah. The dancers, dressed in black suits and white shirts, sit in chairs arranged in a semicircle. They go through the 13 verses in unison, screaming out “She ba-shamaim u va-aretz” (“Who is in the heaven and the earth?”) with every repetition. The choreography ranges from gentle pedestrian gestures to violent thrashing, with the dancers standing on the chairs, stomping, and throwing themselves into backbends. The section concludes with the dancers feverishly tearing off their suits, stripping down to their underwear, and tossing their clothes into the center of the stage.

While Naharin was excited to work with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, his motivation for setting Minus 16 was also personal. The piece is dedicated to the memory of his wife, Mari Kajiwara. A New York native, Kajiwara joined the Company in 1970, serving as an assistant for many years. She married Naharin in 1978 and together they co-founded their first company, the Ohad Naharin Dance Company. In 1990, when Naharin became the director of Batsheva, Kajiwara served as the company’s rehearsal director and dancer, performing in some of Naharin’s pinnacle works. 

"Minus 16 not only delights in its own wackiness, but also celebrates the joy of dancing.” 
- The San Francisco Chronicle 

Leadership support for this Company premiere was provided by American Express. Generous support was also provided by NJPAC Alternate Routes.

MUSIC

“It Must Be True” performed by The John Buzon Trio. Written by Gus Arnheim, Harry Barris and Gordon Clifford. Used by permission with EMI Mills Music Inc. “Hava Nagila” ©1963, ren. 1991 Surf Beat Music. All rights reserved. Written and arranged by Dick Dale under license from Surf Beat Music (ASCAP). “Echad Mi Yode’a” Lyrics and Music Traditional. Arranged by The Tractor’s Revenge (Green, Belleli, Leibovitch). Published by The Tractor’s Revenge (Green, Belleli, Leibovitch). “Nisi Dominus, R.608 – IV. “Cum dederit” (Andante)” by Vivaldi performed by James Bowman, The Academy of Ancient Music and Christopher Hogwood. “Over The Rainbow” by E.Y. ‘YIP’ Harburg and Harold Arlen. Used by permission of EMI Feist Catalog Inc. One Hundred Percent (100%) ASCAP. “Hooray For Hollywood” (Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer) ©1937 (Renewed) WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) All rights reserved. Used by permission. Written by John Mercer and Richard Whiting. Used by permission with Warner/Chappell Music. “Sway” by Pablo Beltran Ruiz, Luis Demetrio, Traconis Molina, and Norman Gimbel; Words West LLC d/b/a Butterfield Music (BMI). All rights reserved.