SAABA

About the work

The worlds that Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar create on stage are truly unique—intoxicating and deeply immersive. In I dreamt, it was you’re invited to step into the universe of SAABA (2021). Originally created for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, we’re thrilled to bring this acclaimed work to NDT 2 for the first time in a bold new version. Exuding passion and vulnerability, the work unfolds through hypnotic movement, evocative lighting, and the irresistible groove of composer Ori Lichtik. SAABA is another brilliant example of Eyal’s daring choreographic voice, seamlessly transforming classical ballet and contemporary dance into something beyond imagination. Irresistible!

Credits

Choreography: Sharon Eyal
Music: Composition by Ori Lichtik.
Avaq: 'From the and 15'.
Mboumba 'Patrice: Chant et sanza', licensed courtesy of Cézame Music Agency.
Mega Bog: 'Station to Station'. © Third Side Music Inc o/b/o Fire Songs (PRS). Courtesy of Paradise of Bachelors, by arrangement with Terrorbird Media.
Lighting design: Alon Cohen
Costume design: Sharon Eyal
NDT rehearsal directors: Lydia Bustinduy

Staged by: Leo Lerus
Duration: 35 minutes
Premiere date: March 26, 2026
Premiere location: Amare, Den Haag
Premiere company: NDT 2

Original premiere

26 October 2021, by GöteborgsOperans Danskompani

Original NDT 2 cast

Nathan Allen, Maša Anić, Nathaniel Belnavis-Wright, Esmee Boevink, Giovanna Doria, Joan Jansana Escobedo, Sophia Frilot, Joey Gertin, Chléa Guiguère, Eliana Hayward, Justin Padilla, Erin Park, Miquel Martinez Pedro, Nathanaël Plantier, César Sautès-Vescovali

Rehearsal | SAABA - Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar

LR-NDT2-SAABA-2026-NDT24487-01-©sacha-grootjans

Sophia Frilot on 'SAABA'

“SAABA by Sharon Eyal is an intense experience where brutality and elegance are at constant play. This work simultaneously demands strength, sensitivity, honesty, precision, and fantasy.

Each repetition becomes an entirely new experience. These hypnotic loops are never truly the same. Nothing remains stagnant. We are alive, breathing, and evolving down to the cellular level. In these imagined realms, our sensitivity intensifies. Sharon speaks through imagery, “Turnout from your brain, bleed from your ribcage, let your tears recycle, dance from your wings.”

Working with Sharon Eyal and Léo Lérus has been such a joy and honor. Their generosity flooded the space and created such a rich environment. The excitement was quite contagious from day one. Sharon managed to rearrange and reimagine this piece into something very unique to our group. SAABA is without a doubt one of my favorite pieces to perform.”