Summary
The GILA project focuses on movement and performance art for mature women. It places emphasis on discovering the artist within us, and utilizes the creative potential hidden within each and every woman. The name Gila, which in Hebrew means age, joy, and discovery, reflects the spirit of women who choose to dance life at any age, and contains the joy and discovery that contribute to a life of vitality. The dance school has evolved into my laboratory for researching the elderly body movement, and over time, I’ve developed the Gila movement language that we practice at school. The elderly body, in perception, moves less and less. As we age, the basic body concept is of loss of abilities. For most women, be-yond the physical cooping, there's a mental confrontation with body images, stereotypes, and invisibility. The consent to move and perform, comes from the process they undergo with the improvement of their body’s mobility and abilities. What’s exciting about this process, is watching the layers of self-criticism peel off, as we proceed, because, once connecting to the body with awareness and attention, it leads to freedom. Objectives of the workshop: • Developing self-awareness and improving mobility while listening to the body, space and senses. • Exposure to an artistic process while experiencing the wonderful world of stage art. • Personal development. GILA workshops was founded 15 years ago, so far involving over 1000 older women, producing artistic shows, performing in Israel and worldwide, in professional dance festivals.
Planning and Implementation
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What was the challenge you were trying to address?
Older women often feel shame with the changes of their body. They don't feel that they own it. Retaining trust in our body is key to healthy aging, physically and mentally. The GILA project is aiming to assist older women sense their bodies as their home, decreasing age stereotypes.
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Who were you trying to impact?
Older women only, Both older and younger people
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What sectors were you targeting?
Education, Health, Social protection, Other
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Who else was involved?
Government, Academia
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How did older people participate?
Older people were part of the process at multiple or all stages
Lessons learned
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Please describe how collaboration worked in your initiative.
All organizations provide financial support for our artistic work, except research collaboration with the academia, in which older women participate in ongoing studies. GILA is also engaged in conference and education event with the academia.
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What was the impact of your initiative on older people, their families, and/or their communities?
The women describe the encounter with the dance field and the Gila school, as a life changing process, and dancing- as a way of life. Another essential gift, that is an outcome of this process- is the formation of a new community, and meaningful friendships. At the end of each year, we invite families and friends to watch their solos in a special work-in-process event. One of the best things I love about it, is when family members also join the creative process, contributing their special skills. For example - We’ve had grandchildren take the role of choreography consultants, and husbands become music editors.
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What issues did you face, and how did you address them?
Two examples of dealing with common women's concerns: 1. A woman came to the first hour and says to me "Just so you know I don't take off my socks, I don't move on the floor, and I don't perform at the end of the year". I didn't argue, invited her to focus on exploring her body. At the end of the year, after deep sensational work, she did everything, danced in front of her family and was thrilled and surprised with herself. 2. A woman who created her own solo and for the first time was supposed to perform in front of an audience, asked worriedly: "I'm very happy that I was able to create a solo but I'm afraid I won't get over the excitement before the show." I answered: When you perform, pay attention to your physical body, to the movement anchors with which you created the solo. This will allow you to be in focus and pay attention to your body, movement and feeling and will neutralize the excitement of the audience. The body is your home. And so it was.
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What lessons did you learn from implementing this initiative?
1. Women reach old age with self-stereotypes and declarative body perception, that has nothing to do with their physical and movement abilities. 2. The best way to relieve fear is to focus on the body and its movement.
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Do you have any other reflections you would like to share?
Looking back, I realize the GILA project was a very intuitive process, that has developed with great attention, and passion to combine my art action and my social action.