Israeli folk dance
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- This article is about Israeli folk dancing. For the main article on Jewish dance, see Jewish dance.
Israeli folk dancing is a form of dance usually performed to music from Israel, with specific dances choreographed to specific songs. Originally, Israeli folk dances were introduced as way to create a new culture in an old-new land, by combining elements from other dance cultures with the music and themes of modern Israel. Most of these dances were created specifically to be danced in Israel by Israelis, young and old, as a way of celebrating the spirit of the new country. Others were created for professional or semi-professional performing dance groups.
Israeli folk dancing is similar to country-western line dancing in the U.S. as they have both a fixed and repeating choreography or set of steps that go with a specific piece of music. A yotzer is a choreographer who selects a particular piece of music, usually Israeli, and arranges a set of steps to fit with that music. The formation of the dance might be a circle, or perhaps couples, or trios or short lines. Or it might be a group/line formation as in country-western line dancing. A dance's tempo may be fast or slow.
The movements themselves are varied, with roots in the Romanian horo, the Arab dabke, traditional Yemenite life cycle celebrations, Klezmer music and dancing of Eastern European Jews, and modern borrowings from swing, salsa and hip-hop.
Temani dance
The Temani dance is a form of dance based on stationary hopping and posturing, such as can be done in a confined space. It consists of three steps, with a short pause on the final step ("quick, quick, slow"). The tza'ad temani can be done forward or back, and right or left.
Hora
The hora is a circle dance that predates the State of Israel. The horah is the unofficial king of Jewish and Israeli folk dances. It can be performed to many of the traditional klezmer and Israeli folk songs, and is typically danced to the music of Hava Nagila. This is the most common dance done at Jewish life cycle joyous events like weddings and Bar-Mitzvahs.
Israeli folk dancing around the world
Israeli folk dancing is a popular recreational activity in Israel but has also spread to other countries around the world. [1]
Notable choreographers
See also
References
External links
- Israeli Dance.com Dance groups around the world
- Israeli Dances.com
- Israeli Dancing.info Comprehensive dance information
- [1] Israeli Dance Groups in Brazil