Copyright thestar
It takes two to tango, the saying goes, but in the world of theatrical dance it’s generally a solo act, at least where inventing steps is concerned. Enter Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, partners in life and art, who are a rare choreographic double act. Their latest work, “Procession,” commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada, officially launches the company’s 2025-26 season this week. The word procession implies movement, but its meaning can be as porous as it is specific. A procession is an ordered, intentional progression from one place to another, but the motivations can be various, from weddings, funerals and state occasions to religious and cultural rituals. And sometimes there are hidden meanings. “What are we moving away from or what are we moving towards?” asked Smith. “And can we tell the difference? Sometimes you can’t tell.” Smith and her husband are now much in demand as choreographers, but they established their reputations — and forged their personal relationship — as performers in Israel’s world-travelled Batsheva Dance Company under the direction and mentorship of its then leader, Ohad Naharin, one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. Naharin is renowned for developing a movement form and associated teaching method called Gaga. As a powerfully visceral style it’s easier to identify in action than to describe in words, but at its root is the idea of flow, of breaking free from imposed barriers to discover the unlimited possibilities of unbridled movement. Alumni of Batsheva such as Hofesh Shechter and Sharon Eyal, and now Smith and Schraiber, have expanded the impact of Gaga on the wider dance world while simultaneously evolving their own distinct choreographic modes. It’s among the factors that prompted the National Ballet’s artistic director, Hope Muir, to invite Smith and Or to work with her dancers. “I want them to experience that dance lineage,” she explained. “I’ve learned so much about how I move and what it feels like to enjoy every single step,” said second soloist Isabella Kinch, “seeing how far it can go or where it can take you.” “Procession” is also part of Muir’s larger quest to keep the National Ballet on the cutting edge of dance. “Their work really aligns with our mission to move the art form forward in an attempt to stay relevant and to build new audiences,” she said. Smith and Or had been on Muir’s radar for some time as their international reputation exploded through a range of innovative projects in dance, theatre and film. In May 2023, Muir travelled to see “Pit,” Smith and Schraiber’s first work for the illustrious Paris Opera Ballet. “I was just blown away,” Muir recalled. “Immediately after the show I asked them to do something for us. We’ve been hatching this project ever since that night in Paris.” And there is a creative connection. “‘Pit’ was a piece about people stuck, locked in and trying to find a way out,” Smith said. “In retrospect it makes sense that we wanted to dig into this idea of procession, of moving forward or moving away from something.” Contemporary choreographers often prefer to use music as a soundscape in contrast to classical ballet’s preference for a more adhesive relationship. In “Procession,” the live music, including a cellist and singer performing onstage, is very present. American cellist Coleman Itzkoff has assembled a score rooted in the baroque era — Purcell, Rameau, Vivaldi — but with excursions into a more recent playlist: Mahler, de Falla and Ravel. “It’s fairly clear that the music is leading this procession throughout,” said Itzkoff. Itzkoff has collaborated with Smith and Or on several occasions, but what is it like for the couple to share responsibility for the choreography? “It’s very intuitive, and each process requires its own beast and has its own set of rules,” Smith said. “In this piece it feels we did separate a little bit more, and go off and work on different sections, but then come together and all collide. We add to each other’s work, we edit each other’s work. Then other sections we built together from the beginning. It feels very organic.” “Procession” is a full evening, 32-dancer work with the men in formal dress — cue the top hats — and the women in 1930s-style evening gowns. The visual surface suggests elegance, but there are enigmas and secrets. Said Smith: “What’s going on beneath this held together facade? Where are the humans under the disguise?” “The formality crumbles a little bit, and it becomes more raw and visceral,” said Schraiber. Smith is 41. Schraiber is 33. Their six-year old daughter, Dea, travels with them, much as renowned Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite took her son Nico on the road. “I’ve had some amazing conversations with Crystal about how to be a dancing parent,” said Smith. She and Schraiber are still as much dancers as dancemakers. In the summer they choreographed and performed in “Seven Scenes,” a new collaborative work with the Ringdown musical duo Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee Parpan. What’s it like to keep to the sidelines for “Procession,” especially when Itzkoff gets to play his cello — and even dance — onstage? “I’m jealous every day, of course,” said Schraiber with a chuckle. “The performer in you never dies. But it’s good jealousy, because I see the dancers flying and I want to fly with them. The piece is theirs as much as it’s ours.” Although they are new to the National Ballet, Smith and Schraiber are hardly strangers to these shores. In the late 20th century, Smith, born in the small town of Centerville, Iowa, studied for two years at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Years later, as members of Batsheva, she and Schraiber performed in cities across the country, several times in Toronto. As choreographers, they made their Canadian debut just this past May in Vancouver with a commissioned work, “Obsidian,” for a Ballet BC triple bill. It was such a success that Medhi Walerski, the company’s artistic director, has already engaged them to choreograph a full-evening work. If “Procession” proves to be a similar hit with local audiences, it probably won’t be too long before we see this choreographic power couple’s return to Toronto. “Procession” is at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. Nov. 1 to 8. Visit national.ballet.ca or call 416-345-9595 or 1-866-345-9595 for tickets.
