Bobbi Jene Smith


Bobbi Jene Smith is an American dancer and actress.
She was the subject of Elvira Lind's documentary Bobbi Jene about her decision to leave the prestigious Israeli dance troupe Batsheva to try to choreograph her own pieces in America.

Early life & education

Smith was born in Centerville, Iowa. She attended the dance division at Juilliard but did not graduate, choosing instead to drop out at the age of 21.

Career

Dance

At the age of 21 Smith moved to Israel at the advice of Ohad Naharin where she joined the Batsheva Dance Company. She stayed in Israel dancing with Batsheva for 10 years.

Film

In 2012 Smith choreographed the dance piece Arrowed which she performed with actor Oscar Isaac. Isaac's girlfriend Elvira Lind was in the audience and she began a correspondence with Smith, eventually persuading Smith to let Lind film her for a documentary. The resulting film, Bobbi Jene premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
Smith made her feature film debut in the 2012 Israeli film Yossi in a small supporting role. She also appeared in Georgia Parris's 2018 dance-drama Mari, where she played the lead role of a woman mourning the loss of her mother.