Yaniv Abraham worked for the second time with the modern dance specialization students of the arts training program. Last year, he held a two-week workshop to “map out” the students, and this year, he arrived at the Hungarian Dance University in order to create a piece for the modern grade’s exam concert.
It is an interesting and important fact that all 17 students will be performing in the piece.
Yaniv Abraham worked with the fourth-grade modern dance specialization students for a week, and the exam concert will be held at the National Dance Theatre on May 15 and June 6, 2025.
Photos by Pál Csillag (HDU)
One of the defining choreographers and dancers of our time, Yaniv Abraham began his dance journey at the Karmi Machol Karmiel folk dance academy and company. He then continued his training between 1999 and 2001 at the Mate Asher Performing Arts School (MASPA) alongside the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Ga’aton Kibbutz.
In June 2001, he joined the Batsheva Ensemble, and in February 2003, he became a member of the Batsheva Dance Company, where he performed until July 2010. During his time with Batsheva, Yaniv performed works by artistic director Ohad Naharin, resident choreographer Sharon Eyal, and guest choreographer Mats Ek. In recent years, he has also performed in works by Batsheva alumni Noa Zuk and Gili Navot.
As a dancer, he received scholarships from the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Education, the Sharett Foundation, and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.
Between 2004 and 2010, Yaniv created numerous choreographies for Batsheva Dancers Create. Since leaving the company, he has choreographed new works for MASPA and the University of Florida. His solo piece, Somersault (2013), was showcased at several festivals, including the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv, Dance Makers in Amsterdam, and MDF in Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Yaniv has taught Gaga, Ohad Naharin’s movement language, to both dancers and non-dancers in Israel and internationally, as well as Naharin’s repertoire. He has taught for renowned dance companies such as Batsheva, Carte Blanche, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Cullberg Ballet, along with dance departments at institutions like the University of Florida, Jacksonville, and the University of South Florida.
He has led masterclasses and workshops in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Russia, Serbia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the United States, and is currently working with students at the Hungarian Dance University.
