photo :Ascaf Avraham
Photo credit: Ascaf Avraham

OPEN-LEVEL CLASS // GAGA/PEOPLE WITH LAURA TOMA

Tuesday — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WINTER: January 9 to March 26, 2024
$20 per class
$15 for RQD members (with valid membership card)
$90 for a 5-class card
Payment by e-transfer: laura.e.toma@gmail.com
Bilingual teacher

*The 5-class pass is not transferable to future sessions and payments are non-refundable.
**You can mix and match between Monday and Tuesday classes!

TO REGISTER > laura.e.toma@gmail.com

The mask could be mandatory for some activities as an accessibility measure for our teachers or participants. For more information, click here.


CONTENT
A Gaga/People class is one hour in length and is open to people ages 16+, regardless of background in dance or movement. No previous dance experience is needed. “The teacher guides 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.


ACCESSIBILITY
In Gaga we move continuously. From the beginning until the end of the class, participants are taken on a journey through various bodily states, ways of moving, speeds, and intensities. Instructions are given verbally by the teacher; who is not only teaching the class, but also taking it. Even if verbal cues are not understood, information can be gathered by looking at her body and practicing imitation. All parts of the body are called into use, though each participant can work at their own level and adapt as appropriate. No one is permitted to sit and observe a Gaga class — neither for all nor for part of it. In the case of reduced mobility, Gaga welcomes the investigation of concepts explored even on the subtlest of levels. Music plays an important role in the development of class; at times it is played quietly in the background and at others loudly. However, it is often emphasized that groove is within the body and not the music. All participants will be encouraged to research this whether they can or cannot distinctly hear the accompanying audio tracks. Due to COVID-19, partnering will not be required.


BIOGRAPHY
Laura Toma is a contemporary dance artist living in Montreal, Canada. In August of 2012, Laura graduated from the first official Gaga Teacher Training Program in Tel Aviv, Israel and is the first certified Gaga teacher in Canada. In addition to her ongoing Gaga/people classes, she has taught for Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, and L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec, among others. She is co-founder and co-choreographer of LA TRESSE collective alongside partners Geneviève Boulet and Erin O’Loughlin. Between 2014 and 2022 Laura was a core member of Andrea Peña and Artists, touring nationally and internationally. In 2016, she performed at the Venice Biennale of Dance for Israeli/French choreographer Emanuel Gat. Listen to her body scans and meditations on Spotify and Apple Music, and enjoy her curated Gaga playlists available only on Spotify.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jmEAHzeF6RauIjmjjRtMA?si=B-7Op19XSViLkUe39X9RVg

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/laura-toma/1645675339


Evening classes are open to all levels, and it is recommended to register in advance for one or multiple classes.

Registration is done directly with the teachers, please contact them if you need additional information.