About

Hadar Ahuvia (she/her) is a cross-disciplinary artist, ritual leader and educator. She creates performances, workshops, and rituals that forefront the role of the body in political, social and spiritual action. Her essay “Joy Vey” on choreographing a diasporic Israeli identity beyond Zionism is featured in the Oxford Handbook of Jewishness and Dance. Ahuvia was raised as a secular Zionist Israeli Jew and has turned towards a study of traditional Jewish spiritual practice to heal intergenerational ruptures. Her years long research and deconstruction of Israeli folk dance have culminated in a series of performances tracing how settler colonial identity is choreographed and transmitted. She is currently studying Eastern European cantorial and vernacular music with Hankus Netsky, is a student Hebrew College and working on nefesh, a new dance work embodying the distinctive sonic gestures of Ashkenazi prayer.

Ahuvia was named a Dance Magazine “25 to Watch in 2019”, and her work “Everything you have is yours?” earned her a 2018 Bessie nomination for Outstanding "Breakout" Choreographer, and inspired the documentary film of the same name by Tatyana Tenenbaum which had its US premiere at DOC NYC in November 2024. See EverythingYouHaveIsYoursFilm.com

Ahuvia has been an artists in residence at DTW/NYLA (2012 Fresh Tracks Artist) Movement Research (2015 AIR), the 14th St. Y (2016 LABA Fellow), Art Stations Foundation through MR’s GPS program, CUNY Dance Initiative at the College of Staten Island (2017), EtM Choreographer + Composer Residency at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL), Whitman College, Mana Contemporary, Yaddo, and Baryshnikov Arts Center. Her work has received support from the Brooklyn Arts Council, New Music USA, and a New Jewish Culture Fellowship, and Mass Cultural Council. It has been presented at DTW/NYLA, the 14th St Y, Art Stations Foundations (Poland), the Jewish Museum of Maryland, Tmuna Theater, The James Gallery, Danspace Project, Gibney Dance, La Mama, and ODC Dance among others.

Ahuvia trained at the Orlando Ballet Theater, Lines Ballet, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and studied dance and religion at Sarah Lawrence College. Ahuvia is grateful to have worked with artists Sara Rudner, Jill Sigman, Donna Uchizono, Molly Poerstel, Anna Sperber, Jon Kinzel, Stuart Shugg, Kathy Westwater, Tatyana Tenenbaum, the Trisha Brown Dance Company and Lucinda Childs Dance. Ahuvia has developed lasting collaborative relationships with Jaffa based artists Shira Eviatar and with Tatyana Tenenbaum and musician Avi Amon (NYC/Lenapehoking). She is delighted to be a performer with Reggie Wilson/ Fist and Heel Performance Group.

Ahuvia has lectured and led workshops sharing her research at the Association of Jewish Studies, Arizona State University, Queens College, City College, Whitman College, Hofstra University, Brandeis and Yale. She leads prayer, life cycle rituals, is Student Rabbi at Kolot Chayeinu, Brooklyn, and a lead organizer with Rabbis for Ceasefire.