Coming Home

October 31, 2014

Billy Barry first caught our eye as a Juilliard student, dancing a featured role in Larry Keigwin’s urban-chic Megalopolis. We were mesmerized by his jellyfish-like moves—wiggly and graceful, but with a fierce sting. Of course, we weren’t the only ones who noticed: Gallim Dance director Andrea Miller hired him while he was still in college, and Ohad Naharin, the director of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, invited Barry to join the group’s second company (the Batsheva Ensemble) after graduation. He entered the first company in 2012, and he’s been impressing Tel Aviv audiences ever since.

This month, Barry returns to the U.S. with Batsheva, performing in several states. Dance Spirit spoke with Barry about the tour.

Billy Barry in Ohad Naharin’s Virus (photo by David E. Tadmore, courtesy Batsheva)


Dance Spirit
: Will this be your first time dancing in the U.S. since joining the Batsheva Ensemble?

Billy Barry
: Yes! The Ensemble traveled quite a lot, but not to the U.S. And since I’ve been in the main company, we haven’t been to New York. I’m so excited about dancing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music—it’s been at the top of my bucket list since graduating from Juilliard. I’m also excited about California. I’ve never been before, and this month we’re going to three cities there!


DS
: What work is the company bringing?

BB
: In most of the cities, we’re performing Naharin’s Sadeh21. It’s got a reputation as one of the company’s masterworks. When it’s over and the crowd goes wild, you realize that using such bold language to describe the piece is accurate.


DS
: What’s the piece like to perform?

BB
: It evolves. In the first part—or “field,” as we call each section, because that’s what sadeh means—I’m zigzagging back and forth in a quick solo. In field 5, the music is really up-tempo; later on, we do really slow movement on the floor. I get to show all sides of myself within one work. By the time it’s over, it’s like I’ve checked off every possible way to move.


DS
: What’s most challenging about the work?

BB
: We’ve done Sadeh in so many theaters, and Ohad will spend time before each performance changing things to fit the space. That can get confusing, because then it’s like, “Which version are we doing now?” But those changes also keep us from getting bored with the work.


DS
: How would you compare life in Israel to life in the U.S.?

BB
: In NYC, everything is go, go, go. And it’s freezing. In Tel Aviv, my life is just as busy, yet I’m more mellowed out because of the beach-city vibe. I get to bike along the beach to get everywhere. At first, it felt like a gamble to leave my whole life behind and move to the Middle East. But it’s been going so well. I’m happy here and plan on sticking it out a bit longer.