Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy Wagner
Hi Cassidy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started dancing as soon as I could walk. I left home (Colorado) at a young age to work with the Miami City Ballet and later studied dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in Manhattan, where I graduated college. It was at New York University where I was first exposed to The Gaga Movement Language.
What is Gaga Movement Language?
Developed by choreographer Ohad Naharin, Gaga is an invigorating movement language that emphasizes how movement feels, rather than how it looks and encourages participants to sense, become aware, and allow within the body prior to telling it what to do.
I was hooked, having experienced a way to use dance in order to explore the essence of movement. In other words, practicing Gaga gave way to joy, pleasure, and feels like how I danced before I “learned how to dance.” It felt like coming home.
As Mario Alberto Zambrano says (a lecturer in Theater, Dance & Media at Harvard University), “Gaga is a return to innocence… It’s all about sensation and letting the body tell you what to do. It’s about going beyond what you think is right or wrong and just doing it.”
Another perspective… “Knowing you don’t know is wholeness. Thinking you know is a disease.” – Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu (Chapter 71)
As a now certified Gaga teacher.. I’ve been using Gaga to discover my body’s endlessness ever since, and I encourage the participants of my classes to do the same.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Certainly.. if I know anything about Gaga, it is that it is healing. In 2018, I incurred a severe injury, which was my longest separation from Dance to date. I could not dance (or do anything for that matter) but once I had healed enough to stand, I realized I could probably try a Gaga class.
I thought, “Worst case scenario I’ll just stand in a back corner.”
I ended up experiencing incredible healing in practicing Gaga while I was severely limited in my movement possibilities, and amidst frequent and incessant pain. It wasn’t until 3 years later that I finally had surgery, and I even practiced Gaga from 1 month post-op onwards. I remember doing classes laying completely flat on the floor to start, doing classes fully seated, then a mixture of standing and laying down, and eventually standing throughout with availability to go in and out of the floor.
The body is a miracle. Movement is medicine. And once again, if I know anything about the Gaga Movement Language, it is that it is healing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am incredibly proud, humbled, and honored to be a Gaga teacher. Having the opportunity to share this movement practice that has changed my life… there are no words. It all means the world to me. I guess the words are, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you… and on and on.”
Ohad Naharin, the creator of Gaga, once told me “You cannot explain it (Gaga)… how do you explain a perfume you like? You have to experience it. Do it, and then we can talk about it.”
If you want to learn more, I highly recommend watching the first 10 or so minutes of the episode “Ohad Naharin” as part of Netflix’s MOVE docuseries. The episode in its entirety profiles Ohad’s work, including his world renowned choreography, however the first portion is entirely dedicated to the research of Gaga and I believe this is some of the most informative, accessible content to date.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
My classes are open to the public, recurring, and can be supported through word of mouth, teaching opportunities, and my personal favorite… participation.
I welcome ages 16+, injuries &/or limitations, and adults with little to no movement background or no prior dance experience.
If there is any pre-qualification for class, it is a curiosity in connecting the mind to the body, and an openness to loose movement guidance.
Pricing:
- $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/cassidymoves
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassidymoves
- Facebook: https://5fsqdmx0vrp.typeform.com/to/zkzgVotD
- Other: https://casswag.dev
Image Credits
The main headshot photo, with the hand cupping my face..
Photo credit: Megan Engebretson, for Bow to the Bee … fine jewelry company supporting Bees.
Links :
meganengebretsonmedia.com
bowtothebee.com
The additional 4 photos added were..
Photo credit : Tessa Machmer, with Machmer Media
machmermedia.com
