Gaga

Gaga is a movement language that allows us to explore, strengthen, and develop flexibility in the body. It was developed by choreographer Ohad Naharin alongside his work as artistic director and house choreographer of the Batsheva Dance Company, and over the years has become one of the most influential movement languages in the world.

Guidance in a Gaga class is given not as a pose but as an image. For example, "imagine your spine is a snake." In Gaga we use expressions such as "sensitive skin," "lubricated joints," "soft hands." These are the images that help us create, explore, and change bodily expression.

The class lasts about an hour. In Gaga the basic principle is to be in movement, not to stop moving. There are no mirrors and no observers during class, which creates a protected space for exploration without judgment.

Gaga is an excellent tool for exploring movement. It helps strengthen movement and make it lighter, more refined, and more conscious.

Each Gaga class has a language of its own, and over the years Naharin developed short terms that recur again and again in class. Here are some of the central ones:

Float. A sense of floating that accompanies the practice, in which the body uses gravity as a source of energy rather than surrendering to heaviness. It is one of the basic sensations in Gaga.

Pleasure. A foundational principle in Gaga, the return to enjoyment, especially in moments of effort or exaggeration. In Gaga we believe pleasure is good for the body, even when the demand is high.

Biba. An instruction to pull the body away from the sitting bones, to create more space in the lower spine.

Tashi. An instruction for movement in which the soles of the feet stay glued to the floor, while all the movement happens above them.

Quaka (shaking). A gentle shaking of the body that generates sensations, activates tissues, and opens up spontaneous movement.

The magic of Gaga is that a single word can activate the whole body. There is no need to memorize the terms, they are absorbed through practice, and every class is a new opportunity to experience them.

Gaga Class — Working Guidelines

A few guidelines before you begin:

Never stop. The session is one continuous flow, with no exercises or breaks, but rather a sequence of instructions that build upon each other. Each instruction does not cancel the previous one but adds to it, layer upon layer. Therefore it is important not to stop in the middle of class. If you are tired, or want to work at a different pace, you can always lower the "volume" and work at 30%, 20%, float, rest, but without letting go of the sensations that have already awakened. Don't return to where your body was before we began.

Listening to the body. Take the instructions gently, into your body, while being alert to its sensations, capabilities, and limitations. Don't try to reach a place of strain the first time. Seek more the quality of the movement, the sensation we are aiming for, less the intensity of the work. Go to places where the pleasure in movement awakens, not to places where pain awakens. Keep the connection to enjoyment, especially during effort (effort is different from pain). If you have a physical limitation or pain, permanent or temporary, speak with the teacher at the beginning of class, and stay alert to it throughout.

Alertness. Be alert. Draw inspiration from the teacher and the other people in the room. Be aware of the people around you, of the space they need, and of touch if there is any.

Silence. During a Gaga class we do not speak, unless there is an instruction to use voice or words. If questions arise, you are welcome to raise them at the end of class.

Sessions begin on time. Being present in the first minutes of class is very important, so that you can get more from the session and take care of your body. You are welcome to always arrive fifteen minutes early, turn off mobile phones, find your place in the studio, relax, and begin.

No late entry. If you are late, let it go. Go do something nice instead. Come tomorrow.