'Gaga': The improvisation-based movement language of dance

Whereas 10 years ago, interested parties had to travel to Israel to take a Gaga class, nowadays, teachers are spread throughout tens of countries.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
GAGA IS AN improvisation-based movement language developed by Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance Company based on quick response and a heightened sense of listening (photo credit: ASCAF)
GAGA IS AN improvisation-based movement language developed by Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance Company based on quick response and a heightened sense of listening
(photo credit: ASCAF)
Six weeks ago, when everyday life came crashing to a halt, the performing arts were severely impacted. In the dance sector, this meant all activities that would have normally occurred were put on hold indefinitely. Rehearsals and performances could no longer take place, and as such, dancers found themselves in their homes, unsure when they would be able to return to the studio or stage. For most performers and teachers, this presented myriad challenges. For one, most to all income had been lost. Another major issue for dancers is the need to stay fit.
All over the world, dance companies plunged into the Internet to find solutions to the lack of connectivity and stagnation. Many dance companies made their entire archives available online, free for at-home audiences to partake of performances they would perhaps never be able to see in person. At the same time, a number of practitioners began hosting online classes. These meetings, though a far cry from the intimacy and energetic exchange of the studio, provided many dancers with a structure and a guided way to keep their bodies in motion.
One of the first dance initiatives to match itself to our new reality was Gaga. Gaga, an improvisation-based movement language developed by Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance Company, is based on quick response and a heightened sense of listening. Perhaps because spontaneity is a tenet of the practice, Gaga teachers quick to find a way to adapt their practice to the corona limitations. For years, Gaga has permeated dance communities around the globe. Whereas 10 years ago, interested parties had to travel to Israel to take a Gaga class, nowadays, teachers are spread throughout tens of countries and throngs of both professional dancers and non-professionals flock to experiment with the rich imagery and groovy nature of the method. And while no one saw the digitization of Gaga coming, it makes sense as a natural build on an already growing enterprise.
“It started without too much thinking,” explained one veteran Gaga teacher who preferred to remain anonymous. “A few teachers got together and came up with the idea to put classes online. They asked Ohad if it was okay and somehow it turned into something we were all trying.”
One unusual element of a Gaga class, something that sets it apart from other dance classes, is that it occurs in a studio without a mirror. This is done to take emphasis away from how movements look and instead, for dancers to pay attention to how they feel. Being present in the moment, without concern for outside eyes, is so important that Gaga classes are never filmed and are held without observers. Until six weeks ago, the only way to experience Gaga was to participate.
“There were never classes online,” said the teacher. “It never went outside the studio. No one was ever allowed to see the classes. Now, suddenly, people can see and even record the class. Something needed to be let go of to make this happen and we have to be okay with that. All these people who could never attend, that Gaga hadn’t reached yet, in countries we weren’t getting to, now can try it.”
As with their in-person classes, Gaga lessons come in two forms: Gaga/people and Gaga/dancers. The first is open to anyone who is interested in exploring movement. The second is geared towards professional or aspiring dancers with prior experience either with Gaga or other dance techniques. All of these classes are free and hosted on Zoom. Donations are welcome but not a prerequisite for participation.
There are eight classes streamed every day, taught either by a teacher in Tel Aviv or New York City. Classes occur seven days a week and are each 30 minutes in length.
“It suddenly took on huge momentum and, all of a sudden, there are 800 people from all over the world in a class.”
But conducting a class this way, as many teachers of all different subjects have found, requires a new skill set and an ability to adapt what was before to what is now.
“When I teach Gaga, the immediate feedback is from the people around me. I can make the class fit the people in the class, if they’re younger or older, if it’s early or late in the day. Energetically it’s different. Now, I need to understand a different way to teach, to bring myself and try to pass it on what I’m doing and not try to match the participants because you can’t see them.”
From the response, it seems that the teachers, dozens of them, are hitting the mark. Donations have been generous and steadily flowing in, which will undoubtedly assist these hard-working teachers in making ends meet during challenging times. And the potential for this platform, which Gaga teachers are rapidly learning to command, is endless. The reach of Zoom exceeds that of the studio thousands fold and while nothing can replace the joy of meeting in person, these classes are affording a type of international connectivity not yet seen in the dance world.
For more about Gaga classes, visit www.gagapeople.com 


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