Easter 2013 saw the first European Gaga Intensive in Belgium. The technique was pioneered by Israeli Ohad Naharin and is used as the primary training technique for Batsheva Dance Company, of which he has been Director since 1990. Gaga technique ‘deepens dancer’s awareness of physical sensations, expands their palette of available movement options, enhances their ability to modulate their energy and engage their explosive power, and enriches their movement quality with a wide range of textures’ (www.bateshva.co.il). Over the course of seven days teachers Doron Raz Avraham, Aya Israeli, Ya’ara Moses and Yaniv Avraham led daily Gaga class, Batsheva repertoire, methodics and improvisation for a group of 50 dancers from around the world including students, dance professionals and non-dancers.

I was first introduced to Gaga through classes with Chisato Ohno at London Contemporary Dance School during my postgraduate degree (2009-2010) and then proceeded into further investigation for my dissertation, linking it to somatic practices and enhancing performance. My purpose in participating in this intensive was to deepen by physical and theoretical understanding and embodiment of the technique. The personal reflection below, gives an insight in to a few elements of Gaga technique which proved particularly poignant for me during the intensive. Though impossible to truly translate physical experience into written descriptions, it is helpful to seek to articulate and describe the things that passed. Much could be written and elaborated on each of these subheadings however this writing seeks to provide an insight with the hope that the reader will gain a greater understanding of Gaga technique and have an interest into experiencing it for themselves kindled.

‘Floating’

Early in the intensive we spent a methodics class focused solely on the frequently used Gaga terminology of ‘floating’. This is often used as a state of rest before or after more physical commands, preparing the body to be open, responsive, and soft. Aya Israeli describes that it is not as if the body collapses to gravity, but collapses onto water and therefore into movement and floating, that alongside gravity, there are ‘other forces’ that are present. Tension is released but into movement, articulation and spaciousness as opposed to giving into gravity alone and therefore becoming a ‘dead weight’ with limited movement possibilities available. We were guided through focusing on different parts of the body within this command, the chest and under the shoulder for example, not collapsing down but floating and letting go into the surrounding water. This was also further deepened by the imagery of ours bodies being a ‘piece of bread in water’, feeling a sense of water penetrating through our flesh and bones to float and spread into the surroundings.

As we connected more to this idea throughout the week I began to increasingly discover my the ability to move fast with the ease of floating and spreading into the space through more technically demanding and precise repertory sequences. I found the ability to perform with complete ease without the sensation of tiredness or unnecessary muscle tension. The prevailing feeling through movement was of my body floating through the space, constant shifts through deep plie became free and light. This was an exhilarating sensation for me, my dislike for feelings of tension in my body previously having prevented me from accessing speed, power and strength as a dancer, particularly in gestures and elevations. I sort to use breath and weight to promote movement in order to access ease and freedom, however this ‘collapse into gravity’ was applicable to a somewhat limited movement vocabulary. The sense of collapsing and spreading bones into water however meant I never felt cut off or restricted in my body but that the movement could pass through and spread into the space around, instead of tension being held within.  Even if the movement requires explosive power there is still a sense of floating but ‘with other forces’ acting also.

‘Stuff travelling through’

The idea of ‘stuff travelling through’ the body, constantly reoccurs within Gaga. The notion that movement is naturally and constantly within the body and we are seeking to bring that movement to the surface. Rather than ‘creating’ and ‘putting something on’, through listening to the body we are to ‘allow’ ourselves to be available to respond and ‘ride on the inherent movement’ which is already within. We consider the body constantly in motion through the respiratory system and the cellular exchange of oxygen in the body, alongside the travel of signals within the nervous system and the flow of the blood within veins, arteries and capillaries with all its various passengers. As a movement occurs in one place we are then called to allow for ‘echoes’ in the rest of the body, sensing the body as gently connected ‘threads’ through which ‘waves can travel’. A slight shift of weight in the feet, for example, can send a wave of response through the rest of the body and the ricochet of the transference is felt.  I greatly struggled to capture this idea at first until Doron Raz Avraham described that ‘it is like smelling a great smell and the sensation washing over all of your body’. These images helped to integrate the body as one fluid responsive entity where change in on part affects the whole as opposed to separate disconnected units.

In addition a couple of more specific instructions became very useful to me in promoting certain areas to be available for the response to travel to them by connecting them to other parts of the body. Attention was drawn to the idea of a ‘seaweed spine’ that wherever movement begins, for example pelvis, sternum or chin, the movement flows to other ends of the spine. The visualisation of it floating within water opens up a greater responsivity whilst also promoting freedom and ease. This was then assisted by a suggestion that we consider the head and chest as one piece through which ‘stuff can travel’, promoting the journey of the echoes to the top of the spine. This allowed the back of the neck to become free and integrated through focusing on its connection and response to the movement of another body part rather than working in isolation. Thirdly they called our attention to an image that the two arms and chest are not three separate parts but one long rope with the heart at the centre, to which the two ropes respond as opposed to moving in isolation. Each time the ribcage and sternum moves there is an opportunity for a natural repercussion in both arms. Throughout the intensive I found myself revisiting these three pieces of information regularly as I noticed my propensity to disconnect the arms and head with the rest of the body. These ideas were also revisited in the repertory we learned with Yaniv Avraham where the arms and head did not decorate and gesture of their own accord but were an organic and efficient response to the movement of the chest. As we moved through material this helped us to access a supportive simplicity in the arms and head accordingly, integrated in genuine responsive relationship with the movement of the rest of the body. The arms were never placed in the space or discussed aside from this idea.

Gaga does not only touch on physical internal sensations but also our relationship to the space and people around us. ‘Stuff travelling through’ also related to surrounding environment, perhaps ‘bringing in things from outside’ or ‘passing/sending things out of the body’.  The helpfulness of this became particularly apparent on application to the closing section from Deca Dance(2001), set to and structured around a Jewish Passover song. We spoke about the idea of not cutting off the joints in the body and blocking pathways, trapping the tension within ourselves. Instead we were to stretch the flesh and the bones through every movement, passing things out of our body and bringing them in to or from the space around through open channels between the joints. This completely transformed my performance of the material. When learning a fast and aggressive sequence such as this before it would have filled me with tension and the unpleasant feeling of pushing and jabbing my muscles through the movement, closing the space in my body. Imagining sending stuff through the body however opens the pathways of the joints to be free and spacious as they move through the material thus feeling fast and powerful but also soft, easy and wide.

‘Availability’

Both ‘floating’ and ‘stuff travelling through’ allow the body to connect to a sense of being available, at any time to be present, listening and aware in our bodies that we can go anywhere or do anything as we choose. During repertory this became particularly poignant in standing still before the material begins, filled with this sense of ‘availability’. Any movement can happen at any time, a feeling which continues throughout the phrase. The delight of spontaneity and unexpectedness follow for the audience and the dancer from moment to moment, never knowing what will come next. The dancer is always prepared to experience each moment afresh and without anticipation but knowing that they, through ‘floating’ can achieve this with minimal tension. At any moment ‘another force’ may take over.

Detailed journeys

Throughout the week there was a priority in awakening senses to the fine-tuning within the body. In one particular methodics class with Doron Raz Avraham, work in partners facilitated an exploration of deeper internal intricacies and pathways through the body. A partner would provide a point of contact with two fingers on one part of the body which the mover would then begin to ‘listen to’. Every small change in space and direction of that place would be attended to with a focus placed on staying with each new moment and echoes throughout the rest of the body that it may promote. After a few moments the partner would provide another point of contact and the mover would gradually begin to float and articulate a pathway through the body from the first to the second point with great detail and clarity as to the journey. This pathway did not necessarily have to be direct and there was encouragement to explore the three dimensionality of the body and the potential for the pathway to be in bone, on the surface of bone, through muscle, under or over skin and so on. This gave endless material for play, articulation and possibilities in terms of ‘stuff travelling through the body’ alongside awareness of new places and journeys.

Ya’ara Moses also gave an illustration which offered a different angle and layer with which to view set material. She spoke of the flick books in which a simple movement such as a boy throwing a ball is made up of many small articulations and shifts in the whole body. She mentions that each movement is actually many small movements and by having this mindset there can be greater exploration and play with different detail and articulation of each movement. This transformed the way the repertory was performed with each dancer having a greater sense of ‘listening’ to the body, undertaking spontaneous play and exploration each time with the many different sensations and articulations. Genuine interest in the movement was rekindled and could be each time it was performed.

Communicating across the space

Within Gaga technique Ohad Naharin is clear that stimulus from and connection to the outside world should be present at all times. The dancer is not to close their eyes to access deeper the pleasure of internal sensation as this cuts off one of the main senses. Connection with the space and others is encouraged throughout as we listen and allow response to be promoted by internal and external stimulus. Two instructions proved particularly interesting in communicating this idea of external spatial relationship. Firstly, ‘talk to someone across the room with all your body’ brought sensitivity to the skin, articulation to its different surfaces moving in the space, pleasure in communicating, clarity of form and intension along with outward expression. Secondly, ‘Spread your perfume into the room’ gave a sense of moving the air around the body and influencing the whole space with movement, not just within skin boundary of kinesthetic sphere. This extended to a concept that with each movement energy or ripples are sent out into the space.

When combined with the detailed journeys from above the change in performing repertory was dramatic. The dancers seemed to be moving the whole space and room with them as opposed to being small bodies moving within a large room. I found it remarkable that such a simple idea which revolves around presence can provoke such a substantial shift to the way a performance is perceived and experienced both as a dancer and an audience member. Throughout studying we are always told to be performers however it is questionable whether time was ever taken to consider, discuss and research what this meant. Personally, this intensive has taught me so much more about how our perception or intention can shift to deepen performance skills.

Texture and form

Ya’ara Moses described that for Batsheva, the form and rhythm of the movement is shared but the intention and the sensation are individual. Batsheva repertory is full of texture. One piece of repertory we focused on for example, although relatively simple, is largely gestural, fast and full of images such as ‘a fox caught in the headlights’, ‘stamping on someone’s head’ and ‘licking hummus with the leg and forearm’. Aya Israeli, who was rehearsal director for this piece worked with us to explain the great details that we can find in each small movement: ‘stuff inside’, being available at any time to do anything like a spontaneous, reactive animal, a sense of the flesh, the weight of the body, the floating of the bones, spatial distance between the body. While there is shared form, there is a constant call for individual texture and sensation to be of upmost important with the form just acting as a shared framework for individual exploration. During rehearsal, Israeli was less concerned with our ability to memorise and perform up to speed but more with the feel and texture of the movement saying ‘the form will come with time’. It could be suggested that there is a tendency for dancers to first find form and then layer on texture, letting our form be first restricted and the texture found within it. In Batsheva’s approach however the texture becomes shaped by the form and is therefore less restricted. This facilitates a richer sensory experience and physical playfulness for the individual dancer.

Crucially for me as an additional layer to this, Yaniv Avraham called us to use the material as a framework to ‘do what you want with’, as ‘a sequence or exercise to manipulate for our own aims’ as opposed to letting the form take control of the individual.  This completely altered the sense of moving through the material, I became much more aggressive and felt like I was pushing through, feeling and choosing the movement as opposed to the movement pushing, feeling and controlling me. Everything became accentuated: texture, speed, size, plie, elevation and so on.  There was also a sense of spontaneity with decision making happening each moment as to the details of how each movement would be performed. Both this notion of unplanned decision-making in each moment and finding individual texture within group form bring authenticity and humanity to the performance of set form.

Not ‘dancers’ but ‘behaviorists’.

Something that has most resonantly endured with me from the intensive is Yaniv Avraham’s description that he chooses to label him self not as a ‘dancer’ but as a ‘behaviorist’, an expert at displaying different behaviors and therefore textures and sensations in human experience. During the middle of the intensive we had our first taste of improvisation, facilitated by Avraham. He spoke about our intention in attending the intensive ‘to upgrade ourselves’ and we then worked through a series of two-minute improvisations, with eight people in the centre of the circle at a time. Between each round Avraham sought to communicate how we could upgrade, through bringing things from the Gaga classes to our personal improvisations. Most memorably he spoke about the idea of always changing between textures and sensations in the body as we improvised (consequently also speed, dynamic and so on), perhaps every few seconds: taking a cold shower, the floor is hot sand, moving through honey, waves in the body, floating, shaking, explosive power, stretching the skin and so on. He spoke about the fact that as dancers we are living out fantasy and imagination, with the capacity to become anything at any time. He asked us not to take ourselves too seriously, be afraid to laugh at our selves, to have a sense of humor and find our inner craziness. Avraham also spoke about allowing the face to become integrated with the movement, not by ‘creating a drama’ but by allowing the behavior to travel up beyond our chin instead of cutting it off. For example it is impossible for us to be happy with the body and not ‘smile’ with our face in some way, even if not particularly overtly.

This particular part of the intensive was very personally transforming and changed the way I view dance and its purpose. The reason for moving or for wanting dance is to live out fantasy and imagination, to become anything at any time: an animal, a magician, and a ballerina… This truth has the feeling of something I have been searching for, an answer which has now been satisfied or shed light onto in response to the ‘why’ question of dance. In addition this only increased my already strong dislike to the preoccupation with form that I often see around me within dance culture, not that form in itself is wrong but that the total shift of focus towards form detracts us from ourselves and our emotional connection and reason for moving. This idea of behaviorists that can transcend and penetrate into every style, reconnecting dancers, teacher, makers and audience with meaning and reason: we move because we feel not because we should. The audience and dancer does not leave primarily with a physical image of the movement you did but a resonance of how it was done and experienced.

‘Connect to pleasure’, ‘connect to the groove’

There is regular encouragement to ‘connect to your groove’ and ‘pleasure in moving’ once an exploration or sensation had been awakened and physicalised, sometimes assisted by music. This brought a sense of being carefree and lighthearted about our research, enabling me personally to let go of a sense of ‘working’ and needing to find or achieve which often rendered me serious and objective as opposed to phenomenological and subjective. It brought a sense of expression, creativity, enjoyment and ownership to the movement, making us feel like dancers, as opposed to just movers.  Encouragement to ‘taste’ with the body the movement that was taking place, like it is a good food or smell. The teachers would frequently be heard saying ‘mmm’ as they led the class each time they saw or experienced something good. Yaniv Avraham counted in sequence ‘5,6,7,pleasure’, wanting enjoyment to be our main priority and focus as we prepared and performed. Enjoyment remains at the heart of Gaga technique. Taking pleasure in physical facility, texture, articulation, sensation and playfully living out imagination are actively encouraged throughout.

Closing remarks

Gaga technique was explained by Ya’ara Moses as ‘as basket of tools’, a language which can be applied to any form, from Cunningham to Ballet. She expressed that she sees these tools as ‘keys’ with which we can seek to ‘unlock the treasures already inside us’. We are using these tools to tap in and access ‘what god gave us’ rather than imposing an external standard and form onto ourselves without any consideration of what is already within. By listening to what is inherent within our physicality and emotions and allowing ourselves to become available to respond to this or other ideas such as ‘stuff travelling through’ with a sense of playing with plenty of time. As dance artists this can provide for us a wonderful world to explore as we move, both within improvisation and within the set form of sequences.

I was struck by how wonderfully universal Gaga technique is. The diversity of backgrounds and previous training in specific techniques or none during the intensive became irrelevant and we all connected and researched without hierarchy or judgment. All humans are able to experience texture, live out imagination and behaviors and in this way Gaga is a great leveler. Lucy Bennet from StopGap and I spoke about how within an integrated company seeking to find connection between different bodies, abilities and forms, these elements can become their shared language and connection in moving, a principle which can transform every form of dance and encourage an inclusivity which transcends disability, age, culture and ability where no form can.

Gaga is a shared human experience. For this reason I feel incredibly attached to those who I participated in the intensive with, the journey and encounters we undertook together was unique. Though we hardly knew each other in the worlds sense, the attachment of shared experience of Gaga rendered us closer than we could have imagined, changing us all in ways that will resonate with us long beyond the intensive itself and for this reason our parting was emotional with a shared but unspoken understanding of experience. The process we went through can not be articulated fully in words, since it is a physical experience to justify the sensory experience which we all encountered but I hope that this writing goes some way to providing an insight for others into it alongside an opportunity for my own reflection and documentation of my experience.

The intensive beckons questions about my own practice and what I will draw from as a result, primarily as a performer and teacher within Primary and Higher Education. This concept stimulated my thinking about my lecturing work at Middlesex where we often explore sensation through somatic exploration at the start but perhaps could take this throughout. It is perhaps viewed as a means by which we can get somewhere else, for example setting up breath connection/deepening understanding of, instead of also recognising the inherent value and pleasure that this can give us. The students often struggle to find personal expressivity and connect to pleasure and play in moving. They are lacking possibilities within the body in terms of articulation and texture that can fuel play with material and often instead prioritise form. Perhaps the notion of ‘behaviorists’ alongside heightened textural exploration would be profitable to explore.

It also occurs to me that the reason for moving and other performance aspects should be integrated within technique training. Movement for technique gain alone is perhaps unsatisfying, soul destroying and disconnects the dancer from pleasure, enjoyment, individualism and their reason for moving. In addition, if this is not incorporated within training then the dancer will have little or no deep knowledge or experience of this skill before performing on stage, rendering them ill-equipped. These two qualities exist together on stage and so both need attention throughout training. A watching audience and the dancer themselves wants to feel and experience, it is the intention behind the material that will resonate, the form is merely a contained and framework for this to be shown. Technique often looks at ‘what’ but rarely in depth about the elements of ‘why’ and ‘how’ which can bring pleasure in moving and connection with our audience and own personal intentions and experiences of the material.

My experience in Belgium was transformational, deepening my awareness of the possibilities within my own physicality and how to access a range of textures, including explosive power with ease and freedom. In addition it called me to consider answers to underlying questions about my identity and purpose as a dancer and therefore the approach, values and priorities that I take into my own practice as a performer and teacher. I look forward to taking this rich physical and personal experience forward with me, allowing it to question, remake and evolve my current working methods.

More information about Gaga technique can be found at www.gagapeople.com/en including information about its background, upcoming classes and intensives, and links to additional writings