Grooving Gaga style
Dancers from the Batsheva Dance Company warm-up backstage before a show.
The Company was formed 50 years ago by Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild. They perform some 250 shows annually, both in Israel and abroad, making them one of Israel's most prominent dance companies.
A dancer stretches on a staircase.
Another warms up during a rehearsal.
Batsheva Dance Company’s dancers work without mirrors so they become more aware of their form, according to Naharin.
The Company describes Gaga as an experience of freedom and pleasure.
A dancer lies flat on the floor.
Two others chat during a rehearsal.
![Dancers take a break. Although the routines can be physically challenging, Naharin said the dancers are aware of the connection between effort and pleasure, and learn to “love [their] sweat.”](https://photos.wi.gcs.trstatic.net/Q_R5ChVKlRml3tKGh9ARAONIpcP5zrrVJICGEAhy3Tj9aCAxjFaBa6FK-fMZ_dlnWCZwv7-vuxD6uFYmsUy3pJpZZ3WQMEeWW8FAH7vI0TQ)
Dancers take a break. Although the routines can be physically challenging, Naharin said the dancers are aware of the connection between effort and pleasure, and learn to “love [their] sweat.”
Dancers watch a show from backstage. Every year, over 75,000 spectators come to see their shows.
Together with its junior Batsheva Ensemble, the Company has 34 dancers gathered from Israel and abroad.
The Gaga movement, which is used in training, helps dancers reconnect with their bodies.
Naharin said it allows people to discover the power of the imagination.
A dancer sits on a chair.
Dancers leap over chairs and throw jackets in the air during rehearsals.
