READER FEEDBACK

Chunky Move's "I Want to Dance Better at Parties"

Report from the United States about Chunky Move's performance in Massachusetts, USA in July 2007.

"I bought 8 tickets for this performance back in March because it mentioned Israeli Folk Dancing. Chunky Move were going to be performing at Jacob's Pillow in a resort area in Western Massachusetts called the Berkshires.

When I looked a little further into the description of the performance I saw that it mentioned Jack Steel and 'the database'.

Then I googled Jack Steel and Chunky Move and discovered that they would be performing Debka Gid by Moshe Eskayo. Moshe had actually just re-taught Debka Gid at Sababa recently!

The performance of 'I want to dance better at parties' at Jacob's Pillow was simply fantastic. Creator Gideon Obarzanek is extremely creative and imaginative. We were so thrilled to see Al Salsalim and Debka Gid performed so nicely by professional dancers.

We met with Gideon after the performance and spoke for a while. It was explained to Gideon that the dance was named after Moshe Eskayo's torn Achilles tendon (=Gid) that he got while choreographing the dance."

Linda Feigenbaum, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA

Report from Karmiel Summer Course - August 2009

Update from Lorraine & Abe Basist from Melbourne Australia, on their first experience of the Karmiel Teachers Course in Israel.

We've started our Teachers course & it is full on. No time for anything but dancing, eating & maybe 2 hours sleep. It is crazy!!!

We went to a Harkada with Gadi Bitton where there were 1000 dancers [that is a small estimate probably more]. It was amazing!!! Wonderful dancers & many choreographers I could not keep track of them all. It was such a buzz to dance in the middle with so many other dancers & choreographers.

This was amazing from 8pm till 6am the next day. They dance like meshugeners & we were among them!

We stayed till 2.30am & the bus took us from this venue on the long drive to Karmiel arriving at 5.30am. We had a little sleep & then went to bed till we got up to have breakfast at midday. I still haven't recovered!

We went to another Harkada at Haifa beach last night with Oren Ashkenazi. We have another session today with drumming & choreographers. I'm tired but it really is wonderful & we are enjoying it so much we cannot express.

All of us Aussies are having a ball. We will be in a performance tomorrow that will be judged by choreographers [our own troup]. This is exciting to be part of!!!

Karmiel Dance Festival Experience

My name is Debbie Dorsky Meitin. I had the privilege of attending the Summer Course for Teachers and Dancers of the Karmiel Dance Festival last Summer (2008) and will be attending again next month (July 27-August 7, 2009).

It was an incredible experience, being part of an international mix of people who love Israel and Israeli dance. It is a unique opportunity to learn from the choreographers and be part of the excitement of Israeli dance and culture while in Israel.

Celebrating Purim 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia

A message from the very creative Israeli Dances Atlanta Dancing committee: Malka, Sarah and Ady

This year we will celebrate Purim by hailing the country of Israel as the melting pot of so many nationalities.

The idea is to do an individual root search (use "Shorasim" for the warm up) and see who your ancestors are.

Once you figure it out, come to the Sunday dancing session dressed in an appropriate costume. Well, maybe not in full costume; let's say your grandparents came originally from Iraq, you do not have to have a full costume of Sadam Hussein; a thick fake mustache will do. :)

To help you decide and to provide you with some inspiration, here's a famous clip of Arik Einstein and Uri Zohar (the latter in his atheist phase prior to becoming a rabbi).

In case your Hebrew is not as strong as your dancing skills, don't worry about it, as the wording in the clip is mainly gibberish. Just watch the waves of immigrants coming to Israel from various countries to become one nation.

Watch the video on YouTube

It will be a fun session. We will dance to songs affiliated with many countries to celebrate our diversity.

Dancing in Solidarity with Israel

To show our love for the country of Israel and solidarity with its citizens, IsraeliDancesAtlanta, an extension of RikudAtlanta, danced in our session, among others, the following dances:

Artzi, Nof Yaldut, Eretz Eretz, Eretz Israel Yafa, Nagni Kineret, Bapardes, Tishmeru al Atmechem, Machol Hashalom, Tevorchi Artzi, Be'har Hagilbo'a, and Rak Beyachad Nenatze'ach.

We followed the lyrics of Tevorchi Artzi and danced Rak Beyachad Nenatze'ach twice after we talked, as a group, about the meaning of the song. Thanks to www.hebrewsongs.com for providing us with the English translations.

This dance session was a meaningful teaching opportunity for our younger dancers, in particular, to connect with and to support Israel during this difficult period. We found this experience very moving and it brought us closer together as a community. We wanted to share this idea with all of you. We feel that this illustrates the power of Rikudei Am to unite us.

January 2009 - Israeli Dances Atlanta, an extension of RikudAtlanta