SILENT BALLET

The collective formed by the dancers is defined as an assemblage of fluid, ever-changing entities. [...] Like a meticulously crafted logical puzzle, their nonlinear, compositional group formations unfold with precision. Through staggered repetition, the movement becomes more distinct, generating harmonious waves that ripple and expand—ultimately achieving a sense of beauty.

The performance is an extraordinary showcase of dance with a strong structure. Perfect tension is built through the timing and the space in which the dancers relate to each other. These nine performers express tenderness, affection, and fragility in the distances they maintain from one another. [...] Silent Ballet is outstanding, surprising, emotional, and daring—adjectives that linger after witnessing it.

It almost seems as if music is playing in the dancers' minds. Their unified energy and shared rhythmic impulses are so convincing that one might wonder—are they wearing earpieces, receiving the music in secret? [...] The cohesion and the construction of this silent dance arise purely from the dancers and their bodies. [...] It is beautiful and captivating to watch.

Silent Ballet negated the notion that Gat relies on music to dictate mood. This group work for nine (eight performed here), underscored the athletic side of dance, and in turn, the theatrical aspects of a sporting event. [Emanuel Gat] has a way of taking the conventions of dance and theater, spinning them, and presenting them in fresh, intriguing ways.

In “Silent Ballet”, which had its North American premiere, there was no musical soundtrack, but Gat had his dancers create their own with the clatter and squeak of pounding, pivoting feet and the sound of breathing in a dynamic, precise, and demanding work. Although Gat used silence to punctuate the rhythms, the sound of the dance became a powerful partner to the eight performers who took the stage.

Whether the piece is about human struggles or simply the lack of presence in moments of everyday life is left to viewers to decide. Much of the piece gives an impression of individuals coming alive after a long deadening day. Without music, the mind tends to focus on the emotion behind the movements. Any way you’re inclined to view it, ‘Silent Ballet’ is a fine reflection on the art of the dance.

Rising choreographer Emanuel Gat trained as a conductor before turning to dance. Oddly, his background shows most clearly in Silent Ballet, a work performed virtually without music. Although there are just eight dancers on stage, the way Gat coordinates them has an almost orchestral feel. [...] Even though Gat’s choreography can be spare to the point of minimal, the overall impression is fascinatingly rich.

Dance without music can sometimes appear bland and unpunctuated - not so in Silent Ballet. [...] There was a combative quality in much of the work, reminiscent of the Brazilian martial art dance Capoeira, and at all times dancers presented themselves with an inner focus. This resolve manifested itself not in showy extroversion and toothy grins, but in a unified immersion in the movement.

The show opened with Silent Ballet. It was a good introduction to the company and to Gat’s minimalist style. [...] At first the dancers stayed to one half of the stage, but they soon moved out across the floor, eyes always on one another, measuring pace, measuring space, even if they were just centimeters apart. [...] Six men and two women, and the most amazing thing was how real they looked.

Emanuel Gat, who makes dance itself the subject of his choreographies, reclaims the Viehauktionshalle as a temple of dance for the Kunstfest. [...] The 40-year-old choreographer sees dance not so much as a form of expression but as the very essence of life. The question of meaning becomes irrelevant. Rather, one might ask whether, for Gat, the end of dance might signify the end of everything.

With imagery and movement sequences that amazed even seasoned dance fans, Israeli choreographer Emanuel Gat transformed the Viehauktionshalle into a magical place. [...] The dancers' weightless control over their bodies and their perfect synchronization, even in the most complex sequences, made this dance evening a truly cosmic experience.

Emanuel Gat displays a distinctive sensibility: liquid assemblages of feathery moves, cut with warped stylings and naturalistic gesture. Though abstract, his work invites interpretation. What kind of community performs Silent Ballet: inmates, a tribe? Dancers regard each othermistrust-fully, then gang up in a suspicious huddle. [...] Gat's a keeper.