Both trained at the Batsheva Dance Company under Ohad Naharin, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber present Pit, their first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet. Born in Iowa, Bobbi Jene Smith joined Batsheva in 2005. In 2014, she embarked on a career as a choreographer, creating works for the Martha Graham Dance Company, the L.A. Dance Project and the Royal Danish Ballet. Born in Israel, Or Schraiber joined Naharin's Company in 2010. He has directed, choreographed and acted in several short films. Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber share a strong attraction to the world of cinema, and they starred and danced in Aviva in 2020. With a modern and figurative stage set, intertwining Sibelius' Violin Concerto with a musical creation by Celeste Oram, Pit takes the audience into a sensual, tribal and dramatic universe.
Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, acclaimed for their work with the Israeli company Batsheva but relatively unknown in France, aside from a performance at the Theatre du Chatelet in October 2022, have surprised audiences with their debut at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Their creation, “Pit,” features exquisite costumes by Alaia and is masterfully danced by 19 members of the Paris National Opera. The piece has garnered praise for its unique and daring take on contemporary dance, with many noting the hauntingly beautiful score, which combines Jean Sibelius' “Violin Concerto” with Celeste Oram's sonic artistry.
“Pit” is an ode to the experience of human life, conceived in harmony with the music. Bobbi Jene Smith has referred to Sibelius' concerto as “the seed (pit), the core of a dark fruit,” which inspired the name of the piece.