Going Gaga in Israel, Part One
The entrance to the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre
Since first experiencing Gaga – the movement language created by Batsheva Dance Company’s artistic director Ohad Naharin – in early 2008, I have been yearning for more, and so has most of the dance world. When the Israel-based company performs abroad, they try to offer Gaga classes not only for dancers, but also for the general public. After all, Naharin developed Gaga after years of working with both dancers and non-dancers while also recovering from his own back injury. Batsheva trains daily in Gaga, and since 2001, open classes in several cities throughout Israel have been available to the public.
Fortunately, my recent trip to Israel gave me an opportunity to once again experience Gaga (in Hebrew, גאגא) – this time at the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre in Tel Aviv. I could hardly contain my excitement as I approached the Centre and arrived at the studios. With a heartfelt todah raba – thank you – to Deborah Friedes Galili, a dance scholar and expert on Israeli contemporary dance, and Yossi Naharin (Ohad’s brother), who oversees Gaga classes, I was able to take...
