A Canadian dance studio recently made headlines by canceling classes in Gaga, a movement style created by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza as the reason. While global conflicts demand attention and moral reflection, banning an art form—especially one rooted in creativity and personal expression—feels like a misguided step.
Gaga isn’t government policy; it’s a dance language that transcends borders. Dancers worldwide use it to explore fluidity, vulnerability, and raw physicality. To conflate Naharin’s work with geopolitics ignores the very essence of art: to connect, not divide.
Of course, studios have every right to make choices aligned with their values. But silencing a movement practice because of its origin sets a slippery precedent. Should we boycott Russian ballet over Ukraine? Avoid American jazz because of U.S. foreign policy? Art thrives when it’s separate from the sins of its birthplace.
Dance has always been a refuge—a space where politics fade and bodies speak. If we start policing movement based on nationality, we risk losing what makes dance universal. Let’s protest injustice where it matters, not on the studio floor.
