Gaga: Finding an Authentic Language from Within

Through close research, I have investigated Ohad Naharin's choreographic and creative processes for both Israel's Batsheva Dance Company and the Gaga Movement Language. Originated by Naharin in 1990, Gaga remains unparalleled and has challenged other forms of modern and contemporary dance genres in the past few decades. Creative processes, such as Gaga, are significant because they can provide young choreographers with alternative methods of creating and assembling a choreographic piece. I approached my research subject historically through bibliographic sources, interviews, and video analysis. I also engaged in ethnographic research and participant-observer methods to further examine specific choreographic methodologies utilized by the Gaga technique. In my narrative, I weave in the voices of Gaga specialists, such as Deborah Galili, who has spent many years studying the complex and layered aesthetics and creative methodologies that Ohad Naharin has contributed to contemporary dance. In this research, I demonstrate how Ohad Naharin's creative methodologies can generate innovative vocabulary and transformative choreographic narrative.