Ohad Naharin's 'Last Work' with Batsheva Dance Company in Ferrara

Ohad Naharin's 'Last Work', created in 2015, was performed by the Batsheva Dance Company at the sold-out Teatro Comunale Claudio Abbado in Ferrara. The 65-minute piece features a woman running continuously on a treadmill, symbolizing the passage of time or a flight toward or from something. The choreography evolves from solo dances to duets and group formations, with abrupt shifts in music and movement. Dancers change costumes, engage in ritualistic gestures, and use props like a white flag, a kalashnikov, and adhesive tape. The performance incorporates Gaga, Naharin's movement language developed during his tenure as artistic director (1990-2018), now as exclusive resident choreographer. The piece includes music by Grischa Lichtenberger and a Yiddish song. While Naharin avoids explicit ideological statements, the work evokes tensions between Israelis and Palestinians through symbolic elements. The finale ties all dancers together with tape, suggesting interconnectedness. Naharin is no longer artistic director but remains the company's exclusive resident choreographer.