© danielhanoch
Paradise
Matan Cohen's residency is devoted to the development of "Paradise". This moving work is a duet for two female dancers who reimagine iconic songs from “The Sound of Music” through the lens of war, grief, hope, and nationalism. The work delves into themes of morality, belonging, conflict, and identity, posing fundamental questions about coexistence and how a society can navigate the pain of war and the complexities of its historical roots. “Paradise” unfolds as a choreographic and symbolic exploration of social tensions, demonstrating how art can serve as both a space for reflection and an act of resistance.
Originally created for the Batsheva Dancers Create: Atelier program, “Paradise” has since been presented at the Diver Festival, the Herzliyah Museum of Contemporary Art, and FeelBeit, an Israeli-Palestinian cultural center in Jerusalem.
Matan Cohen
Matan Cohen is an independent dancer and choreographer. Born in 1993 in Haifa, he trained at the Reut School for the Arts and later at Maslool Bikurey Ha’Itim.
In 2013, he joined the Batsheva Ensemble, later becoming a dancer with the Batsheva Dance Company from 2016 to 2024 under the direction of Ohad Naharin. Through the company’s Dancers Create initiative, he developed several works for both stage and film, crafting a choreographic language that intertwines movement, political discourse, and aesthetic research.
Alongside his performance career, Matan pursues philosophy studies at the Open University of Israel, teaches dance and Gaga and is a dedicated practitioner of Vipassana meditation and Iyengar Yoga. His short film “Composure” has been screened at international film festivals, earning nominations and awards.
His work is characterized by a strong conceptual and symbolic foundation, blending abstraction and narrative to create performances that challenge perceptions of the body, memory, and collective identity.