Aesthetic Assemblages: Relational Aesthetics of the Israeli Movement Practice Gaga

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the aesthetics of the free-form improvisational dance practice Gaga as an example of contemporary neo-spirituality. The study is based on aesthetic data collected in recreational Gaga classes at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv. The study shows that the aesthetics of practices are relational and depend on a variety of heterogeneous factors; collective and shared aesthetics persist despite individualization. The paper develops assemblage thinking as a theoretical and practical framework for approaching aesthetics. It combines the specific analytical approach of aesthetic analysis with the theoretical concept of assemblage and applies it to an example of neo-spirituality. It evolves the concept of “aesthetic assemblage” to address the challenges of studying practices that focus on movement, body, and experience. It demonstrates that studying aesthetic assemblages of neo-spiritual practices helps to foster an understanding of social and cultural dynamics in the context of religion.

Keywords: :

• senses
• body knowledge
• affect
• experience
• assemblage
• neo-spirituality
• somatics
• dance

Acknowledgements

The author thanks all reviewers for the careful reading and the helpful comments.

Notes

1 The study of religion branch AoR has its origins in reflections, common research foci, and extensive discussions by scholars, most of whom are members of the German Association for the Study of Religion (DVRW), as discussed in Material Religion by Hubert Mohr (2010) or Inken Prohl (2010).

2 Unfortunately, the Gaga class does not allow outside observers, video, or photography. For a visual-auditory glimpse, see the Gaga Movement Language YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@gagamovementlanguage, accessed September 11, 2023.

3 The idea of “centralization” of practice comes from the work of Anna-Konstanze Schröder (2013, especially 109-116), who builds her own approach to religious conversion on the definition of conversion as a “centralization process.” The idea of “worldview” comes from Taves and Asprem (2018), who introduced the concept to name the embodied meaning-making impact of “religious” as well as “nonreligious” practices.

4 This requires further investigation, but given the socio-political events in Israel since my data collection, it seems noteworthy that the observed Gaga participants reject the right-wing policies of the Israeli government and criticize its political and military actions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lina Aschenbrenner

Lina Aschenbrenner is a postdoctoral study of religion scholar with a background in cultural studies. She explores material, performative, aesthetic, affective, embodied, and experiential dimensions of contemporary religious and cultural phenomena, with a focus on “neo-spiritualities.” Outside academia, she creates dance with and for all. [email protected]