Climb into your skin: A Look at Personal Intimacy in Gaga Practice and Performance

Abstract

This paper looks to combine the seemingly disparate worlds of dance and psychological theory to unravel the work of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin. The investigation hopes to further understand Naharin’s work beyond what is physically seen and what could potentially be felt by his dancers. Using one of Naharin’s most noted works as the subject of investigation, this paper questions if through the physically, mentally, emotionally challenging work of Naharin’s technique, Gaga, the physical practice of dance becomes a multi-faceted inquiry of the soul.