“In the Ensemble there’s a work routine every morning. Six times a week there’s a morning lesson from 10:00 to 11:15, the teachers are: Ohad Naharin, Adi Salant, Shachar Binyamini or one of the dancers. Nearly all dancers are Gaga teachers, but not everybody teaches in the Company. Usually the teachers use an iPhone or mp3 cable, but they don’t always play music. Clothing is casual, seemingly sloppy. In fact there are mannerisms and fashions and sometimes the dancers create a unique appearance for themselves through their dressing style at work.
Most of the Company’s dancers were Ensemble dancers before. The Ensemble has a public audition, that’s published two months in advance, and a lot of Israeli and international dancers come. There are several stages of filtering that last four days, and after each stage we’re left with a smaller group according to the match and performance in the audition. The whole artistic staff of both troupes is present in the audition, empowered by Ohad, with the confidence that we understand the Company’s needs.”
Hillel Kogan, Ensemble Dancer, 1995-1996, Ensemble Rehearsal Manager from 2005