Gaga Dancer / Gaga People

As part of its 15th anniversary celebrations, Danse K par K wished to give back to the community by offering free Gaga classes taught by dance artist Delphine Jungman.
Gaga is the movement research developed by Ohad Naharin over many years, alongside his work as choreographer and artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company.
Gaga emerged from Naharin’s need to communicate with his dancers and his curiosity for contemporary movement research.
Gaga classes are rooted in a deep listening to the body and to physical sensations. Instructions are layered to heighten sensitivity and amplify sensation. Rather than moving from one instruction to another, information accumulates, creating a multisensory, physically engaging and challenging experience. While many instructions draw on rich imagery, Gaga is fundamentally a physical practice, insisting on a specific process of embodiment. Within this shared research, the improvisational nature of the exploration allows each participant to build a highly personal relationship with Gaga.
Gaga provides a framework to discover and strengthen the body, gaining flexibility, stamina, agility, and skills such as coordination and efficiency, all while stimulating the senses and imagination. Classes offer a training that engages movement, speed, and effort, while navigating additional spectrums — between softness and thick textures, delicacy and explosive power, understatement and exaggeration.
Participants awaken dormant areas of the body, increase awareness of habitual patterns, and improve movement efficiency through layered tasks. They are encouraged to connect to pleasure even in moments of effort. Gaga is in constant evolution, and the classes vary and develop accordingly.
Gaga includes two types of classes: Gaga/people and Gaga/dancers.

Gaga/people | Duration: 1h | Audience: Beginners, ages 16+
Gaga/people classes are open to anyone aged 16 and over, regardless of dance or movement experience. No prior dance training is required.
Classes are one hour long and are taught by dancers who have worked closely with Ohad Naharin. Teachers guide participants through a series of evocative, layered instructions that do not cancel one another out. Rather than copying a specific movement, each participant actively explores how to interpret and accomplish the proposed tasks.
Gaga/people classes offer a creative environment to reconnect with one’s body and imagination, enhance physical awareness, improve flexibility and fitness, and experience pleasure in movement within a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere.
Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and be ready to dance barefoot or in socks. Bringing a water bottle and a towel is recommended.

Gaga/dancers | Duration: 1h15 | Audience: Professional and pre-professional dancers, ages 16+
Gaga/dancers classes are intended for professional dancers and dance students aged 16 and over. These classes last one hour and fifteen minutes and are taught by dancers who have worked closely with Ohad Naharin.
Gaga/dancers follows the same principles as Gaga/people but also incorporates vocabulary and skills specific to a dancer’s training. The layering of familiar movement with Gaga instructions offers new challenges, and throughout the class, teachers encourage dancers to visit places and movement pathways less familiar to them.
Gaga/dancers deepens dancers’ physical sensitivity, expands their palette of movement availability, enhances their ability to modulate energy and engage explosive power, and enriches their quality of movement with a wide range of textures.