Gaga in the Desert
The Gaga in the Desert Workshop in Moa in the Arava has been taking place for over a decade, becoming a beloved tradition. The workshop offers participants a framework to connect with their bodies and their imaginations, go beyond their familiar limits, improve physical and mental flexibility, and surrender to the pleasure of movement in an inviting and supportive environment in one of the most beautiful places in the country. The workshop is intended for veteran Gaga users and new users alike. No prior experience in movement and dance is necessary.
The renovated Moa Oasis is a wellness resort, with specially designed rooms and tents, and featuring a wellness complex with a hot tub, ice baths, and a sweat lodge.
The workshop offers additional content and a party in the amphitheater at sunset with a guest DJ.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The Gaga in the Desert workshop is held once a year at Moa Oasis in the Arava. The workshop has been taking place for over a decade and has become a beloved tradition. The workshops are taught by Gaga teachers, most of whom are former dancers of the Batsheva Dance Company.
The long weekend workshop offers participants a framework to connect with their bodies and their imaginations, experience sensations and emotions, improve flexibility, and surrender to the pleasure of movement in an inviting and supportive environment. The workshop is intended for veteran Gaga users and new users. No prior experience in movement and dance is necessary.
During the weekend, six Gaga classes are held: five in a spacious hall and one outdoors class in front of the desert mountains at sunset, with an after-class party. The meals in the workshop are primarily vegetarian (including vegan dishes, though also with some fish), cooked by Moa’s chef and based on fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Additional activities offered during the workshop include a sunset party in the amphitheater with a guest DJ; a bonfire each evening in the orchard and restaurant area; and access to Moa’s wellness facilities, including a sweat lodge (a sauna with hot stones), hot tub, and ice bath. We will also enjoy an excursion to Nabatean Moa. Our production team, which has accompanied the workshop for a decade, will be there throughout the retreat to support you with professionalism and care.
For those arriving without a car, the production team will facilitate ride shares; guests are expected to participate in the cost of gas.
Due to the changes in the workshop’s kitchen, it is not possible to volunteer and participate in the workshop this year.
The retreat teachers
The teachers
Noa Zuk
Noa Zuk is a choreographer and dancer. She danced with Batsheva Dance Company for twelve years and, upon leaving the company in 2009, began her career as an independent choreographer. Since then, she has presented her works in numerous frameworks in Israel and internationally, creating both independent productions and works for dance companies around the world. Noa has worked with dance companies in Switzerland, the United States, Singapore, Norway, England, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
Many of her works are created in collaboration with multidisciplinary artist Ohad Fishof. Alongside their stage productions, they also create video works together. Noa teaches Gaga and repertory workshops regularly in Israel and internationally. She is a faculty member at several leading dance institutions, including the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, the Ga’aton Workshop for Dance, the Dancers’ Training Program, and Kibbutzim College. She is the recipient of the Yair Shapira Prize for Outstanding Dancers and has twice received the Israeli Minister of Culture Award in recognition of ten years of creative achievement. Noa is a Gaga teacher since 2007
Yaara Moses
Yaara was born in Jerusalem in 1984 and began studying ballet and modern dance at the age of six. At 18, she joined the Batsheva Ensemble as a young dancer, and a year later moved to the Batsheva Dance Company under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin. During her years with the company, she performed works by Ohad Naharin and Sharon Eyal. She later became rehearsal director of the Batsheva Ensemble.
Yaara has been a Gaga teacher since 2006, teaching classes and workshops in Israel and around the world. Alongside teaching Gaga, she pursued studies and training in alternative medicine. Today, she practices Chinese and Japanese medicine, acupuncture, and herbal medicine.
“For me, Gaga is a time where I care for my body and mind. A time where I nourish my body with healing movement, refine my abilities, soften what has become rigid, and connect with the creativity, sensations, and flow within me.”
MOA OASIS IN THE DESERT
Moa was established 12 years ago with the aim of creating a home for workshops and retreats and is now used as a hotel. In the last few years, Moa underwent renovation and upgrading, including the design and refinement of the rooms and tents, the renovation of the lake restaurant complex, and the establishment of wellness facilities in the orchard for the enjoyment of guests. In the large hall, the floor was upgraded to wooden parquet, which we can enjoy in the workshop’s Gaga classes. Moa is located in the Arava Desert along the Israel Trail and Incense Route, between Moshav Tzofar and Zukim. Its 60 dunams include 30 rooms and tents, an orchard, a large lake, and amazing natural sights surrounded by the silence of the desert. The trip from Tel Aviv to Moa takes about two and a half to three hours and goes through the descents of Sodom and the Arava.
Workshop Meal Plan
The meals at the workshop will be vegetarian and based on fresh, seasonal raw materials. The meals will be cooked by Moa’s chef together with the kitchen’s staff. Moa invests thought and creativity in the menus, and we will enjoy a fine and nutritious culinary journey during the three days of the workshop. Free coffee and tea are provided throughout the workshop, and there is also a new coffee machine from which you may order cappuccino and espresso for your breakfast.
Moa Oasis Room Selection
Prices include accommodation for two nights, 6 Gaga lessons, production, meals, and VAT.
Twin/double room:
The room is built from local stone and includes a double bed or 2 single beds, air conditioning, toilet, shower, refrigerator, and tea corner. The rooms have been renovated and upgraded.
It is possible to add a friend to the room with an extra bed at an additional price per person.
Price per person in a room for 2: 3,500 NIS
An upgraded and designed pagoda tent for 4-5 participants:
A spacious tent of about 50 square meters with four single beds, curtain partitions, air conditioner, toilet, shower, refrigerator, and tea corner.
Price per person in a tent for 4: 2,800 NIS
Price per person in a tent for 5: 2,500 NIS (please note this in the comments section of the registration form)
If only 3 friends share the tent: 3,500 NIS per person (please note this in the comments section)
A Han room for 4 participants:
A spacious room with 4 single beds, air conditioner, toilet, shower, refrigerator, and tea corner. The rooms have been renovated and upgraded.
Price per person in a room for 4: 3,000 NIS
If only 3 friends share the tent: 3,700 NIS per person (please note this in the comments section)
Shared accommodations in a large tent
A large insulated and air-conditioned tarpaulin tent of 100 square meters, with shared toilets and showers. Guests receive a mattress, bedding, a blanket, and a towel. You may bring a personal tent for privacy and place it inside the shared tent.
Price per person in a shared tent: 2,300 NIS
Register for the workshop at the bottom of the page
Registration and Payment
To register for the workshop, scroll down to the registration form and fill in the details.
If you have comments or questions, you are welcome to write them at the end of the form, and we will answer you by email.
After submitting the form, you will be sent an email with a payment link. Your place will be held for 5 days from the submission of the form, and payment is required within this time frame to finalize your registration.
An invoice for the Gaga in the Desert retreat will be sent to you by email.
Cancellation Policy
In case of cancellation up to one month before the workshop, a refund will be given except for the registration fee of 150 NIS.
In case of cancellation between a month and 2 weeks before the workshop, a refund will be given minus 500 NIS.
In case of cancellation between 2 weeks and and 1 week before the workshop, a 50% refund will be given.
In case of cancellation less than a week before the workshop, there is no refund.
Alternatively, people who cancel can find another participant to take their place at any time.
In the case of personal or family emergencies related to the security situation at any time up to the date of the workshop, you will be given the option to join a future workshop or a refund (the amount will be determined by the production team).
In the event of cancellation due to Home Front Command instructions, a new date for the workshop will be given later in the year and a full refund for the workshop will be available, minus a 150 NIS registration fee.
Workshop Registration Form
Gaga in the Desert at Moa Oasis
31/12/26-2/1/27
Please fill out the form, and an email with a link to a payment page will be sent to you shortly (according to your room selection). Please note that this form does not guarantee your reservation. Reservations will be finalized upon completion of the payment. Thank you.