Summary Of Ohad Naharin's Deca Dance

What makes a dance feel old? Several factors play into the feeling a dance gives off, whether it is a fresh and innovative feeling, an established and dated feeling, or somewhere between the two. Tensile Involvement, created by Alwin Nikolais in January of 1953 is a short piece featuring ten dancers who jump and frolic, holding long ribbons that hang from the ceiling to make mesmerizing patterns that take up the whole stage. Nikolais uses shapes and space wonderfully and his application of technological music adds to a modern impression. Contrasting Nikolais work is a segment of from Ohad Naharin’s Deca Dance, which consists of seventeen dancers and their chairs placed in a wide semi-circle facing the audience. The dance accumulates quick,

In Tensile Involvement, the dancers wear skin-tight tank leotards that enunciate muscle definition and flexibility. The patterned fabric adds to the other-worldly feeling of the piece - the dancers do not appear to be human. The body is on display in Nikolais’ piece, to emphasize the physical aspect of the movement quality. On the other hand, in the beginning of Naharin’s excerpt, the seventeen dancers are fully clothed in suits and hats. As the piece progresses, the dancers fling their clothing from their body and are down to their underwear by the last verse. When the dancers are clothed, their athleticism shines through their suits. Even with the heavy, black slacks and coat, the vigorous movement is apparent.

Once the lights rise onto the stage of “Echad Mi Yodea,” the subtle yellow stays stagnant throughout the rest of the piece. This contrasts greatly with Nikolais’ piece. His lighting design uses many colors and changes various times throughout the piece. Overall, both lighting uses in this piece were not integral in the dance and thus did not have a great effect on whether the dance read as old or