BODY RANGE RESEARCH

In the class we will research different ideas of how to make our physical range constantly grow and look at different approaches to how we see movement by using tasks, images and an open discussion about what it is that we sense while moving.

Matan was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel in 1982. He started dancing as a folk dancer and at the age of 15 was accepted to Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts. During these years, Matan also studied at Bat Dor Dance School, and at age 17 he attended the Juilliard summer program. After high school, at age 18, Matan was accepted to the Batsheva Ensemble. He performed there for two years before dancing with the main company for ten more seasons. In the twelve years Matan danced in Batsheva, he was a part of some of Naharin’s greatest creations such as Three, MAX, The Hole, and many more. From 2013-2017, Matan was the director of Batsheva – The Young Ensemble, which has become one of the leading young companies in the dance world. The year he became director, he also won the Yair Shapira award, and the ensemble was named the best performing company by Israel’s Ministry of Culture. Between 2017-2020 Matan was acting as a stager for Naharin’s work and staged works for companies like Paris Opra, Oslo ballet, Vienna ballet, Stanislavsky Ballet and more. Between 2020-2022 Matan returned to Batsheva as the main rehearsal director for the main company. Since 2022 Matan is back setting Naharin’s works around the works. Matan has undertaken a long, meaningful process with Naharin’s movement language and is a senior teacher of Gaga. He teaches Gaga around the world and is one of the main Gaga teachers for the Batsheva Ensemble.