Gaga/people classes last for one hour and are taught by dancers who have worked closely with Ohad Naharin. Teachers guide the participants using a series of evocative instructions that build one on top of the other. Rather than copying a particular movement, each participant in the class actively explores these instructions, discovering how he or she can interpret the information and perform the task at hand. Gaga/people classes offer a creative framework for participants to connect to their bodies and imaginations, increase their physical awareness, improve their flexibility and stamina, and experience the pleasure of movement in a welcoming, accepting atmosphere.
Participants should wear comfortable clothes and be prepared to dance barefoot or in socks. It is advisable to bring a bottle of water and a towel for use after class.
“We become more aware of our form. We connect to the sense of the endlessness of possibilities. We explore multi-dimensional movement; we enjoy the burning sensation in our muscles, we are ready to snap, we are aware of our explosive power and sometimes we use it. We change our movement habits by finding new ones. We go beyond our familiar limits. We can be calm and alert at once.” – Ohad Naharin
Saturdays, January 27, February 3 and 10, 5:00-6:00pm
Cost: $42 for workshop; $15 drop-in rate
Native to Minneapolis, Berit Ahlgren gained her foundational dance training from Minnesota Dance Theater, and received a BFA in Dance from St. Olaf College, where she also studied biomedical studies. Ahlgren was a founding member of TU Dance under the artistic directorship of Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands, and performed with the company between the years of 2006—2015. Receiving Minneapolis Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Grant in 2011, Ahlgren had the opportunity to study the Gaga Movement Language in Tel Aviv, and moved permanently to Israel to pursue a teacher certification between 2011-2012. Upon return to the U.S., she established the Twin Cities Gaga community, and teaches Gaga/dancer and Gaga/people classes regularly at both TU Dance and Zenon Dance, while holding positions on faculty and guest instructing at the University of Minnesota, Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and Gustavus Adolphus College, Wesleyan University, and teaching abroad in Sweden and Israel. Ahlgren moved to New York in 2014 and obtained her MFA in Dance from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts in 2016. During that time, she taught Gaga weekly at both Gibney Dance Center and Mark Morris Dance Center until recently relocating to Minneapolis late in 2016. In addition to her work as a Gaga instructor, Berit choreographs and performs work for stage and film, and has recently launched a monthly Artist Salon Series to bring together the diverse network of talented artists working in the Twin Cities.