Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Mr. Gaga - Ohad Naharin - The Language of Dance


Ohad Nnaharin is a world renowned contemporary choreographer. He is also the originator of Gaga. (Gadi Dragon)


One of my very vivid memories as a little girl was regularly dancing around the living room in an ethereal like trance, while my mother accompanied me on the piano. I was completely uninhibited and though I wanted to emulate dancers I idolized, like Karen Caine, Martha Graham and Isadora Duncan and it didn't really matter what I could or couldn't do, or if I was doing it right. I simply would follow what my body told me to do and got great pleasure from moving my body around the room. I did this for a number of years, until I was about 12 years old when pre-pubescent self-consciousness began to creep in and inhibite.

 Prior to puberty formal dance lessons did not "spoil my soul". I continued to love all dance but never had the opportunity to study formally until I was older when I studied a variety of dance forms.

" Naharin says children who begin dance lessons at a young age "spoil their souls" by dancing in a room, in front of mirrors. He adds: "Instead of looking at the universe or at the elements, you're looking through your own image."

I was really excited to learn about Ohad Naharin  today on CBC Radio. "Mr. Gaga", a new documentary that is about to be released, about the language of Gaga  and Ohad Naharin. I think children and maybe elders, understand intuitively, this language of dance.


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