Master Choreographer Ohad Naharin's 'Decadance' on the Sejong Center Stage

March 14-23 at M Theater

Ohad Naharin (73) is a world-renowned choreographer born in Israel. Netflix released a documentary film titled 'Mr. Gaga' in 2015, spotlighting Naharin. Naharin's work 'Decadance' will be staged next month at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

The Seoul Ballet Company announced on the 18th that they will perform Decadance at the Sejong Center M Theater from March 14 to 23.

Decadance is a work commemorating Naharin's 10th anniversary as the artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company. The title combines the Greek word for ten, 'Deca,' with 'Dance.' Naharin has served as the artistic director of his home country's Batsheva Dance Company since 1990, and Decadance premiered in 2000. Prior to that, in the 1980s, Naharin was active in New York and the Netherlands Dance Theater, among others.

'Decadence' performance scene [Photo courtesy of Sejong Center, Vacheva Dance Company, (c) Ascaf]

Decadance is a restructured performance that excerpts several of Naharin's works into one show, allowing audiences to intensively experience his unique choreography and artistic world. Each time Naharin releases a new work, he adds parts of the choreography to Decadance, making it an ever-evolving and vibrant piece performed on stages worldwide.

The Seoul Ballet Company plans to present Decadance by combining seven representative works Naharin created between 1993 and 2023, including 'Minus 16,' 'Anaphaza,' and 'Venezuela.' The performance features some of the most iconic scenes from Naharin's works, from group dances with dancers in black suits using chairs to scenes that communicate with the audience through humor and improvisation, showcasing a variety of charms on one stage.

Naharin's choreography is based on the unique movement language he developed called 'Gaga.' Gaga is a training method that expands the body's possibilities and maximizes the dancer's senses, characterized by emphasizing instinctive and flexible movements. Gaga is the core of all Naharin's works, and in Decadance, audiences can witness dancers' flexible yet powerful movements.

'Decadence' performance scene [Photo courtesy of Sejong Center, Vacheva Dance Company, (c) Maxim Waratt]

Kim Cheon-ung, the first Korean to join the Batsheva Dance Company as a full member in 2017 and who danced there for seven years, is participating as the rehearsal director for this performance. He is currently active as a choreographer in Korea.

Director Kim shared, "It is very meaningful to present works I participated in as a dancer at the Batsheva Dance Company to Korean audiences as the rehearsal director of the Seoul Ballet Company. I focus on conveying the choreographer's intentions to the dancers."

Decadance is the opening work of the '2025 Sejong Season,' which features planned performances by the Sejong Center and the Seoul Arts Troupe as part of their seasonal program, and it is also the first work of the year for the Seoul Ballet Company. The Seoul Ballet Company was founded last year as Korea's first public contemporary ballet company. In its second year, the company plans to present a total of four performances and seven works in collaboration with world-renowned choreographers like Naharin.