Commentary

Israeli Dancing: A View from Inside the Circle

History of Israeli Dance [Article 1]

History of Israeli Dancing [Article 2]

Folk dancing (either Israeli or international) is much easier than, for example, ballroom or social dancing.

In folk dancing, there are circle, line and couple dances. You learn the dance ahead of time, and then when the music comes on, you just do the dance and enjoy it. You don't have to worry about leading your partner or figuring out what to do as you go along, the choreographer who created the dance has already done that for you. (I never liked going to standard rock-and-roll dances, the music is too loud, I can't hear what anyone is saying, and when on the dance floor I don't know what I want to do next.)

You can practice your skills by doing the circle and line dances, before trying to do the couple dances (which are really the most fun, IMHO).

Unlike social dancing, the dances and conventions at Israeli dance sessions are not much different from one group to another--if you learn a dance in one city, it will be basically the same in another city, or even in Israel, should you decide to travel there. In social dance, conventions and styles differ widely from one teacher or studio to another.

In folk dancing, if there is a dance you really don't like, at least it will be over with in about 3 minutes, unlike in social dancing, where if you have a song or a partner that you don't like, you are stuck with it/him/her for perhaps as long as 10 minutes.

If you start with a beginner's Israeli dance session and stick with it by going once a week for 3 to 6 months, you will really learn a lot of dances without much conscious effort and you will see how much fun it is!