THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE BRUTAL JOURNEY TO THE HEART: Sharon Eyal’s L-E-V unpacks love via kitsch, biology, and a whole lot of slinking

Sharon Eyal’s L-E-V dances “Chapter 3: The Brutal Journey to the Heart” at The Joyce Theater.

Last night at The Joyce Theater, I attended the opening night performance of Chapter 3: The Brutal Journey of the Heart by Israeli dance company L-E-V, which was founded in 2013 by former Batsheva Dance Company member Sharon Eyal (who danced with Ohad Naharin’s renowned company from 1990 to 2010). Choreographed by Ms. Eyal, the evening-length dance piece currently at The Joyce is the third and final installment of a dance trilogy exploring the murky but powerful notion of love.

The distinctive influence of Batsheva is thoroughly evident in the piece, if expressed in a more minimalist distillation of Mr. Naharin’s full-on, grotesquely emotive “dada” aesthetic. The imagery of the heart (as in the actual biological organ) is prominent throughout – from Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s skintight costumes to the way the movements of the L-E-V dancers emulate the beating heart by slinking in a tightly controlled manner to Ori Lichtik’s electronic yet organic soundscape.

Ms. Eyal seems eager to triangulate to the very essence of love by manifesting the sensitive space between biology and kitsch. Over the course of a hypnotic hour, the audience is transported to this surreal netherworld where emotions are brutally shaped. As our guides through this landscape, Ms. Eyal’s dancers are disciplined specimens, navigating the quivering choreography – in turn raw and playful – with absolute commitment and deadpan rigor.

RECOMMENDED

L-E-V: THE BRUTAL JOURNEY OF THE HEART
Dance
The Joyce Theater
1 hour (without an intermission)
Through February 27

Categories: Dance

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