SOMMERAKADEMIE' 26 DOUBLE BILL: Oren Laor & Niv Sheinfeld | Billy Barry

Summer Academy 2026 — our institution’s annual highlight, featuring an international workshop campus and a diverse performance program.

We are very pleased to welcome renowned international artists to Cologne as part of this event, who will not only present their current work but also lead workshops during the Summer Academy.

➡️Click here for the workshops

The evening brings together two very different artistic approaches:

PETER, a story ballet

by Billy Barry

a moving solo inspired by “Peter and the Wolf.” Personal memories and inner transitions weave together into a poetic narrative about courage, change, and the hope of following one’s own inner voice.

The story and music of “Peter and the Wolf” have long been a source of inspiration for me. By connecting these characters to people and events from my own life, this solo explores the inner tensions of a person undergoing change—a lesson in courage and in listening to a heart that once played menacing melodies but now sounds hopeful.

TWO ROOM APARTMENT

by Oren Laor & Niv Sheinfeld

“Two Room Apartment” was named “Best Performance of the Year” by the Israeli Dance Critics Circle in December 2013.

For over a year, Niv and Oren worked on their own version of the dance piece “Two Room Apartment” by Liat Dror and Nir Ben-Gal, which premiered in Israel in 1987. The work employs a simple movement vocabulary and a minimalist aesthetic. It explores life as a framework in which customs and behaviors take place in precise, almost compulsive repetition. In doing so, it examines various contexts—from the state, the military, and the family to the intimate relationship between a couple and the individual’s relationship with themselves. The focus is on two types of boundaries: on the one hand, real structures and limitations, such as the borders between states or between two spaces. On the other hand, it deals with the inner boundaries of human beings—those that cannot be made immediately visible: the limits of one’s own abilities, the limits of ethics, and self-imposed restrictions. Today, the piece is regarded as a milestone in the development of independent Israeli choreography and has received numerous international awards. It has won many prizes, including the prestigious Bagnolet Competition for Choreography.

TEAM

PETER

Concept and Choreography Billy Barry

Dance and Performance: Billy Barry

Music: “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush

“Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev, conducted by Eugene Ormandy and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, narrated by David Bowie

“Ciao/Yaya” by Bagel

Costumes by Gianni Notarnicola

Lighting by Billy Barry

Premiere 2023, CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo

TEAM

TWO ROOM APARTMENT

By and with Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor

Based on the 1987dance piece by Liat Dror & Nir Ben Gal

Music by Ori Vidislavski, Elton John, and Vains of Jenna

Artistic Consultant: Keren Levi

Rehearsal Directors: Carmit Burian, Yael Venezia

Lighting design by Netta Koren and Wil Frikken

Illustration by Ruth Gwily

Photos by Gadi Dagon

ARTISTS

PETER

Billy Barry

was born in New York in 1989. He trained at The Ailey School from 2003 to 2007 and danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in 2006. Billy continued his training and graduated from The Juilliard School in 2011. During his time at Juilliard, he worked with Gallim Dance and Keigwin + Co. He was part of the original cast of Gallim’s “Wonderland” at the Joyce Theatre in 2010. In 2011, he joined the Batsheva Ensemble and became a member of the Batsheva Dance Company in 2012. In 2022, he was appointed Assistant Rehearsal Director of the Batsheva Dance Company, while continuing to dance until he left the company in 2024. In 2019, he received the Yair Shapira Award for outstanding achievements in dance.

As a choreographer, Billy has created several short works in both the contemporary and commercial fields. In 2022, Billy and Gianni Notarnicola began working together, developing their own movement language and a shared style. Since then, the two have premiered two duets (B.O.A.T.S. – based on a true story and G.O.A.T.S. – going on a trip, sis), which have been presented at venues including Varda Hall, Suzanne Dellal Hall, Tmuna Theatre, Habait Theatre, Tanzfaktur Cologne, Rotterdam, Chez Bushwick in New York, Taipei, and throughout Italy.

In 2023, Billy choreographed solo works for himself and others (PETER – a story ballet, DansHer) as well as a trio (B THIGH STAR), which were performed at the CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Inbal Theater, and the Juilliard School. Since leaving the Batsheva Dance Company, he has made guest appearances with Gallim Dance and Ate9. In 2025, he served as assistant choreographer to Imre and Marne Van Opstal for FKA Twigs’ Eusexua tour.

TWO ROOM APARTMENT

Niv Sheinfeld

Niv Sheinfeld is a choreographer, dancer, and instructor. He was awarded the Rosenblum Prize for the Performing Arts in 2009 and the Israeli Ministry of Culture, Science, and Sport’s Prize for Young Artists in 2007. He was born in 1972 at Kibbutz Hanita and studied dance in Tel Aviv from 1990 to 1991. From 1992 to 1997, he was a member of the Liat Dror & Nir Ben Gal Dance Company.

His first independent work, *Borderline*, premiered in 1997 as part of the Gvanim Festival at the Suzanne Dellal Center and received a special mention. In 1999, he was invited to the Israel Festival to present his solo piece *Don Quixote *. He created two works for the Batsheva Ensemble in 1998 and 1999, followed in 2001 by a choreography for the Kibbutz Dance Company. In addition, he has realized numerous projects of his own and collaborated with choreographer Emanuel Gat. Since 2004, he has been developing his works in collaboration with Oren Laor.

Oren Laor

Oren Laor was born in Tel Aviv in 1971. From 1993 to 1997, he studied acting and performance at the Theater Department of Tel Aviv University. During his studies, he worked with renowneddirectors such as Nola Chilton, Edna Shavit, Yossi Yizraeli, and Yevgeny Arié, as well as with artistsfrom the field of dance, including Ruth Ziv-Eyal, Yoram Boker, Rina Shaham, Marina Beltov, and others.

After graduating, he appeared in various independent productions as well as in plays for children and young adults. He has been collaborating artistically with Niv Sheinfeld since 2004. In addition, Laor holds a bachelor’s degree in the humanities and teaches statistics and research methods at a college.