Belinda
/ 28. augusti 2009 14:26
Last year I received a scholarship from Konstnärsnämndens to go to Israel and study the “GAGA” dance technique that Ohad Naharin started a few years ago. I decided to go during my December vacation, and I spent two weeks in Tel Aviv. I have written a short text describing my experience of Tel Aviv and of the “GAGA” technique. If anybody has any comments, please let me know!
Last year the Batsheva Dance Company came to Copenhagen to perform, and I was really intrigued with the physical capabilities of the dancers. When I heard that they train “GAGA” everyday, I was really interested as to where this technique could take my body. Almost all of the dancers in the company have extremely mobile lower backs, and this is something I wish for often! I didn’t think that it could be possible for every dancer to be naturally this way, and so decided to explore further this technique!
Originally Ohad developed this technique after suffering a back injury, and he thought of it as a way to condition and look after the body. It is based on one’s natural movement, and is all about moving freely in the space. Ohad, who is also the artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, was originally the only teacher of “GAGA”, but as time has passed and the technique has evolved, he has trained a few of his dancers, enabling them to teach and pass on the method. I was lucky enough to join company class everyday. As well as these classes, “People GAGA classes” exist. These classes are aimed at non-dancers. All sorts of people attend these classes, which allow people to let go, enjoy and express themselves, without the added pressure of needing rhythm, co-ordination, or a mirror in front of them making them feel self-conscious or inhibited. I also attended these classes, which take place every evening.
The difference between these two types of classes was quite vast. The company is taught only by Ohad Naharin, and this being his technique, the class feels pure and one can feel that it originates from his mind, as all of the images that he gives are so clear and relevant. The evening classes are taught by his dancers that he has approved to teach the method. Therefore each teacher adds their own personal touch, and also as these evening classes are aimed at non-dancers, there is a different emphasis. Once a month Ohad teaches the evening class, and this a huge occasion amongst the “People GAGA” people! I was lucky enough to be there when this evening occurred. The Batsheva Dance Company’s studio is huge, and on that particular evening, I would say that around one hundred people were standing around waiting for the class to begin. At seven o’clock, in walked the master! Ohad walked to the centre of the room, as everybody surrounded him in anticipation. This was a feeling that I will never forget, and one that was extremely special. The room was quiet and still, and slowly people began to mimic Ohad as he started to move in his own body’s natural way. After a while he turned on some electronic music in the background. (All of which he apparently composes himself – him being a music student graduate from Julliard School in New York) There was such energy in the room, and it was quite touching for me to see so many people of all ages letting go of themselves and enjoying every minute of this hour. After the class, people were elated and there was such a friendly vibe in the studio. It was a complete “feel good” workout and quite an experience!
The company classes were of a more serious nature, and there was a very clear mood of inner research and concentration. Each day the class varied a bit, but basically followed the same structure. What I noted as very new to me and very beneficial, were the lack of mirrors. The company never use mirrors for training or for rehearsals, and I found this quite fascinating, as I felt how usually I become very frontal in my dance, as we spend so much of the time looking in the mirror. There is such a difference in ‘feeling’ movement as opposed to ‘seeing’ it. It was an hour and a half class, which built up to a climatic ending of running, jumping and feeling completely warm and ready for a day’s rehearsal. It warms the body up in a complete and unusually organic way, which I was not used to. As it is based a lot on one’s own natural movement, you can choose how much you put in to it, so depending on how tired you are, or how sore your body is, you can vary the levels of energy. It also demands more personal commitment and responsibility from yourself, because you are deciding what you do, and you are researching how your body feels and moves on that particular day. It entails focus and a large amount of imagination, as Ohad gives many images to the dancers as they move around, to change their experience from minute to minute. For me, this technique is based mainly on the images from the teacher that guide you and give you an all round experience for the body. The images that Ohad has developed, allow you to feel dance in a very different way. A few of my favourite ones, were “ feel the bones floating in the body, disconnected from the muscles and the flesh”, “feel the blood flowing through the body – feel the warmth it creates as it passes through different areas of the body”, “float – just stand and float and feel the body moving as one entity”, “feel air between each vertebrae”, “direct different parts of the body upwards, as if exposing them to the sun”. These images make you move and feel in a different way, and made me realise how much the mind is connected to how we move, and what you think can make such an impact on what others see. It is quite fascinating actually!
These classes did so much for me as a dancer, as I now see so differently the way that I approach training and warming up the body, as well as the way in which I move and improvise as a dancer. I have realised how much I appreciate to have the mind stimulated as I move, as this creates much more of a challenge than just remembering the steps. I feel that this has enabled me to incorporate many new ways of playing with movement and finding different levels of energy to use for different parts of choreography, even in the same piece. It has given me a way of thinking of dance, which I feel is on a completely different level. It’s quite a surprise to me that I could discover this after dancing for so many years – I began to dance when I was four years old. It’s now fun in a new way to approach my work everyday. On the other hand, I also realised that as any dance technique it has its disadvantages and in my opinion, it does lack a few ingredients that I as a professional would need to work a full day after. I suppose that for the company there it works, and for his choreography, which they do mainly, it is ideal. I think that used as a tool, and used in corporation with other techniques, “GAGA” can be extremely helpful.
Being in Israel was a whole experience in itself, and as it was during the time when the war began in the Gaza Strip, of course it was quite a unique situation, and not probably very ideal. To be there as a tourist and venture out to restaurants etc felt rather strange, and I can say that it made me feel guilty knowing what was happening only fifty kilometres away. It is surreal to be there in Tel Aviv, and to see people continuing with their lives and wondering what they are feeling and thinking. As I was told, the people have grown up with this being a part of their lives, so for them it is a part of the way things are. Having watched a few dance performances in Tel Aviv, and having been amazed at the depth and high quality of the dancers and artists there, I can only think that this all contributes to their outlook on life, and their expression through their art. Such a small country responsible for some of the best dancers in the world, and in my opinion some of the most interesting and innovative choreographers and dance styles. It is intriguing to me.
I thought that the Israeli people were friendly, warm and so interested in me, and my interest in their country. They are so proud of their heritage and of their art in particular. It is a pleasure to see how people can take such pride in it, because it is of the highest level. I felt welcomed and at home, and found Tel Aviv to be a multi-cultural and down-to-earth city with such a distinct charm and atmosphere not found in many places.
I feel that this experience enriched my life in many ways. Having been there at this tough time for the country, meeting dancers and artists and exploring their ways of thinking and outlooks on life. I appreciate so much having been given this opportunity to go there and experience all this. Coming from South Africa, it is almost unheard for me that the arts are given such emphasis and importance in these times.
As this was just a taste, I hope that I will return soon to continue my “GAGA” exploration!
The Susanne Delal Center where the Batsheva Dance Company is based.
Tel Aviv.