Gaga: Moving beyond Technique with Ohad Naharin in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Gaga, the movement language developed by Ohad Naharin in conjunction with his work as artistic director of Israel's Batsheva Dance Company, has in the last decade been introduced as a training option for dancers. Examining Gaga's evolution, structure, and characteristics, this article suggests that Gaga's divergence from conventional models of technique allows it to address many needs of dancers working in the twenty-first century. I consider how Gaga fits into contemporary training paradigms and assert that the freedom to explore concrete directives and creative imagery in classes helps dancers develop the link between their physicality and their artistry.