BOBBI JENE by Carol Kaufman Segal

            Bobbi Jene is a documentary about the life of modern dancer/choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith.  Bobbi Jene was born in Idaho and trained as a dancer at Julliard.  She had heard about the celebrated Israeli dance company, Batshiva that was run by highly acclaimed Artistic Director, Ohad Naharin.   At the age of 21, Bobbi Jene made the decision to move to Israel to join the company.  After nearly ten years with Batshiva, Bobbi Jene told her family that she never felt at home in Israel, that she was going to leave the company and return to America to fulfill her desire to make it on her own.  Director Elvira Lind directs this documentary about Bobbi Jene following her life-changing decision.

            Bobbi Jene’s decision was not an easy one.  One scene reveals her emotions as she tells Ohad of her decision and tells him how difficult it will be to leave the company and him  (They had a relationship at one time.).  However, she agrees to stay through the season.  It also means leaving behind a fellow Batsheva dancer, Or Shraiber, a man ten years her junior with whom she has become involved.  As the time nears, she tries to convince Or to come to America with her, but he does not want to leave Batsheva or Israel, explaining that Israel is his homeland just as America is hers, and it is where he wants to raise his children.

            The remainder of the film has her going to California and New York where she teaches and performs some solo works on stage.  There are some scenes visiting with family, times when she has conversations on line with Or, times when he visits her in New York or she returns to perform in Israel.  But throughout the scenes, it is difficult to really know Bobbi Jene except for her loyalty to dance.

            .  She finally gets a request to do a solo performance in New York and in Israel.  As she works on this important piece of a work, she debates whether she should perform clothed or without.  She makes her decision and after the conclusion of the performance at the Jerusalem Museum, she remarks “I want to get to the place where I have no strength to hide anything.”  Obviously, she got there!

            Playing at Laemmle Royal Theatre, West Los Angeles

            Running time, 95 minutes

            Not rated* 

*Not for children re CKS