Online programme book ZŌ

Dear friends,

Welcome to ZŌ, an immersive and intimate work by Ohad Naharin, brought to life by NDT 1’s remarkable artists.

We are proud to continue our long-standing collaboration with this unparalleled voice in contemporary dance. More than 30 years after his first collaboration with NDT, and following The Hole (2013) which we last performed in 2023, Naharin now presents his new creation, ZŌ(2025), originally created for Batsheva Dance Company.

In ZŌ, Naharin continues his exploration of how space shapes experience. Created for an intimate in-the-round setting, the work places audience and performers in close proximity, dissolving the distance between them and creating a shared space of attention in which boundaries continually shift.

At the heart of the work is a universal tension: the unspoken gap between reality and our perception of it. Naharin’s movement language listens to the body from within, allowing sensation, impulse, and contradiction to exist side by side without seeking resolution.

Together with musician and DJ Tai Rona, Naharin creates an immersive theatrical environment that combines original composition, multilingual vocals, and dynamic physicality. The dancers are fully embodied performers, moving, singing, and responding with heightened awareness. The result is a world that feels immediate, layered, and deeply human.

My heartfelt thanks to Ohad, Ian, Annika, our collaborators, our extraordinary dancers, and the entire NDT team, whose artistry, dedication, and commitment made this performance possible.

And thank you for being here. We are grateful to share this experience with you.