HORA NEWSLETTER 2006
Dear Dancers,
The latter part of this year has been a very difficult and emotional time for me and my family with the sudden illness and sad passing in September of my darling Ima, Eva Sobolski. Many of you would have come in contact with her over the years through her involvement in Israeli Dance and some of you developed a very special friendship and relationship with her, dancing together in the Wednesday and Thursday morning classes. Your condolences, kind words and messages of sympathy expressed your feelings towards her. Her warm, friendly personality, sense of humour, and gentle expressive dance style, seemed to touch everyone’s hearts. She was an inspiration to all those who knew her, and will be sadly missed. I would like to thank you all for your friendship, comfort, support and caring thoughts expressed during this time of sorrow. It really helped me to find strength and return to dancing with such a positive attitude. While the loss is great, the memories will live on forever!
OVERSEAS GUESTS:
As always, our Annual Dance Camp in August was indeed the highlight of the HORA Dance Calendar. Our special guest this year, Yaron Carmel was an instant hit with his warm, gentle and friendly personality, excellent and professional teaching manner, and graceful dance style. His fabulous choice of repertoire ensured the Camp’s success.
The ”Dancing with the Stars” competition added to the fun and frivolity of both nights’ entertainment. All who participated enjoyed the experience immensely and although much time and effort went into preparations and rehearsals, the rewards were worth it. Thankyou “stars”, dancers, judges, hosts and audience, for making this event such a memorable one.
Next year our special 20th Dance Camp celebration in March is shaping up to be “The Best Ever”! By popular demand our favorite Dynamic Duo, < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" prefix="st1" namespace="">
I would like to thank those who participated in the
Kobi Michaeli’s unexpected surprise visit in July this year was a real treat. This talented and popular choreographer together with his beautiful wife Anabel, conducted a most successful and fun workshop, teaching his latest dances and dancing all his favorite hits. A great night was had by all.
I am also thrilled to announce that the legendary choreographer
CLASSES:
This year we implemented a few changes to some of the class structures - Some more successful than others.
The Monday night format of line, circle and partners has been overwhelmingly popular and will continue next year. This class is growing from strength to strength with new dancers regularly joining in and adding to the unique, vibrant and exciting atmosphere. This class has gained the reputation for being the largest most successful advanced class in
Our Latin Hour before Wednesday Evening Partners, started with a bang and lots of enthusiasm. Unfortunately this class couldn’t continue as the teacher, Melanie, retired to have a baby and her assistant suffered a bad back injury. Next year we are introducing a new ½ hour “Revision by Request Session” weekly at 8pm. Dancers may request partner dances to be revised and a list with dates will be posted on the HORA website for anyone wishing to come along.
Wednesday night class is a Partners’ Delight. Numbers have steadily increased during the year, which adds to the buzzing, fun atmosphere. Classic and modern, varied and exciting dances are taught, revised and danced throughout the night. The extensive repertoire keeps everyone on their toes – especially the teachers.
I would like to thank Les Posen for being such a patient, understanding and entertaining dance partner, and for taking the class when necessary. Also to Sue Appel, my “emergency partner”, thank you for helping me select, learn and teach many of the dances.
The Thursday night class with Diane Grosman and Lili Hampel was unfortunately cancelled during the year due to Diane’s severe injury. This was quite a blow to her and the enthusiastic members of the class.
HORA’s day classes have always been very special – special atmosphere, special repertoire, special people and special teachers.
For me, Wednesday morning class holds a special place in my heart. It is a class where dancers of all ages, religions and dance backgrounds join together in friendship, harmony and love for Israeli dance. It is a class where my late mother, Eva and I, together with my sister-in-law Freda, shared our family passion for Israeli song and dance. This always brought me so much pride and joy. Wednesday morning class is also special because of the involvement of some of HORA’s wonderful teachers,
Thursday morning class with
Well, what can I say about Saturday afternoons, except that it is HORA’s most casual, friendly and layback class, enjoyed by our diehard dance enthusiasts Over the years there have been many changes to the Saturday program, and this year has been no exception. In 2007, we have decided to go back to our original format of a weekly circle and partner class which we invite you all to experience and enjoy!
There is a big change of venue, however. After 20+ years of dancing at St Stephens (now the
Our new venue for Saturday afternoon will be “Southern Cross” in Dandenong Road Caulfield (next to Emmy Monash), a lovely clean hall with good floor and intimate atmosphere. Looking forward to dancing together with a new format in a new hall.
STAFF:
The HORA staff (affectionately known as the HORA family) plays a very large part in the success and popularity of the School. Thank you
Special thanks to my 2 IC
This year Sue has demonstrated her creativity, talents and capabilities by creating the HORA website, www.hora.com.au with expert guidance from her son Gavin. Thank you for all your hard work and effort. It’s an excellent informative site, updated every couple of days, and a great asset to HORA.
Last but not least, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your enthusiasm, dedication, loyalty and attendance throughout the year – without you there would be no HORA!
Happy Chanukah and a safe and happy holiday.
Looking forward to dancing together again in 2007.
Love, Helen
EVA SOBOLSKI
A very special lady, Eva Sobolski, started dancing nearly 18 years ago in our “over 50’s class”. Not only was she special in her own right, but she was also the Mother of Helen & Max, and Mother-in-law of Freda. She was the epitome of an enthusiastic dancer, always smiling, loving the music and making friends with everyone in the classes. Over the years Eva became an integral part of HORA Dancing. She was a regular in the day classes, loved the parties and even attended some camps. It was a special moment on occasions when early on there were three generations dancing together; Eva, Helen, Helen’s daughter Lisa, Max & Freda. These were really HORA family moments.
Years passed by and Eva became everyone’s surrogate Mum. She was truly the Matriarch of HORA, loving every minute of every dance class and loved by all the dancers. Eva was a bit of a dance groupie, getting so excited when each choreographer visited HORA. It was no secret that she had a special place in her heart for Moshiko. She loved to watch the videos of choreographers and dances when she was at Helen’s, and then began to watch them at home as well.
In the last few years, Eva didn’t dance as much but she would rarely miss a class, and her smile never faded. Her illness and sudden passing at the “young” age of 88, was a big shock to her family and her extended HORA family. The outpouring of sympathy by the IFD community was a testament to the place Eva holds in all our hearts.
KOBI MICHAELI WORKSHOP – 14th August 2006
Panic Attack! Kobi Michaeli, was coming to
Great News! Except for the fact that we had planned our Annual Camp with guest teacher Yaron Carmel a matter of only days after. Well, we took the plunge and said ok, hoping that it would create a hype which would continue into camp mode. And we were right!
The one night workshop with Kobi, started with line dancing, went on to 2 hours of circles and then concluded with 2 hours of partners, St Anthony’s was jam packed with people ready to have a great night’s entertainment and dancing.
We had met Kobi on a number of trips to
For Kobi, it was a difficult gig. He had less than five hours to make his mark. He didn’t disappoint us. He was warm and charismatic. He taught well and held our focus. Kobi danced the night away with us and Anabel wowed us with her gorgeous dance style. Kobi taught us one line dance, two circles and two partner dances which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The atmosphere was pumped, Kobi had everyone’s attention all night and before we knew it, it was after midnight.
It’s great to see the appreciation of our dancers when we present something new, spontaneous and exciting.
CAMP 2006 with YARON
Yaron is a young, fun and energetic Markid who leads the largest Israeli Dance Sessions and Marathons in the north of
He is an instructor in the Tel Aviv University Folk Dance Teachers’ Course; has danced and instructed in performing groups; involved as producer, organizer & compere of events in annual Karmiel Dance Festivals, & teacher of children’s classes.
Yaron is an accomplished & extremely popular Master Teacher who is invited to many Israeli Dance camps In USA,
Lead-up to camp:
Once again months of discussions, planning, preparations, phone calls, emails &
developing ideas led up to the main event, our 19th annual dance camp with guest Markid from Israel, Yaron Carmel.
One would think that there would be a formula, seeing as we’ve organized camps so many times before. But if you know anything about HORA, you know that we always try to do something different and hopefully better. So whether it be the decorations, the food & snacks, the program, the entertainment or even the t’shirts, it is not just serendipity!
The fact that most people didn’t know much about Yaron Carmel led to an intriguing sense of anticipation. After all, he isn’t a choreographer, so his name was fairly unknown on this side of the world. Also those dancers who travel to
So flyers went out and registrations began to flow in. After last year’s extravaganza with Gadi & Yaron BS (Ben Simchon), we were half expecting a low key response this year. But once again, numbers were great and all our plans were coming together.
Ballarat:
Well, the weather was kind to us and we were off to a flying start. All arrangements went smoothly, the hall was decorated with our “Silver: Dancing With The Stars” theme, which created an amazing ambiance. Everything at the Colonial Motor Inn was under control in the accommodation and meals areas. We couldn’t ask for more.
Dances: And then there was Yaron’s warmth, aura, personality, magnetism and teaching style, which captured our hearts from the start. With his experience and flair, Yaron chose for us a brilliant repertoire of new dances, which was so exciting. Each dance was different, and the music was exhilarating. It was very hard to choose a favorite dance from the weekend, they were all so popular. In fact, every dance that Yaron taught us is in the top ten being danced in
Entertainment:
We decided to carry the theme of Dancing with the Stars all through the weekend, from the decorations in the hall, to the t’shirt design (thanks to Rohan Appel), and on to the entertainment. Lots of discussions, planning, rehearsals, anxiety and finally excitement, led up to the presentation of our own HORA Dancing with the Stars Show which carried over two nights. Participation by our own stars, the HORA staff, interstate and international judges and presenters, and our dancing volunteers, helped to make it a wonderful success. Mention must be made of the time commitment and effort contributed by our dancing volunteers in rehearsals, costuming and learning the choreographies. It was definitely worth it, and we had lots of fun along the way.
The Experience: The Monday night after camp is always hyper and exciting. This year was especially so because we were lucky that Yaron was still in
MOST POPULAR DANCES TAUGHT AT HORA IN 2006
(in alphabetical order)
CIRCLES
Ba Min Hashtika Avi Levy
Boni Li Yoram Sasson
Chatul Rechov Shlomo Maman
Ha’ish hahu Gadi Bitton & Kobi Michaeli
Ko Hama’alot Victor Gabay
Metuka Verakka Dudu Barzilay
Ruchot Milchama Rafi Ziv
Sonata Ira weisburd
Wai Wai Wai
PARTNERS
Al Telchi Li Rafi Ziv
At Ha’isha Sheli Kobi Michaeli
Bosem Tzarfati Dudu Barzilay
Chai Lema’anech Nona Malki
Chikiti Lach Rafi Ziv
Choshev Aleha Dudu Barzilay
Isha Levada Bamidbar Gadi Bitton
Perach Ba’aviv Ohad Atiya
Tagidi Lo Gadi Bitton
Yesh Bi Ahava Avi Peretz
LINES
Amazonas Kobi Michaeli
Bora Dance Carina Saslavsky
Chiwawa Chen Shporen
Chori Chori Aviv Ben Ishay
Isha Yafa Vardit BarNes
Kalientes Tambours Eyal Eliyahu
Ktzat Meshuga’at Oren Ashkenazi
Kubayo Sagi Azran
Velero Carina Saslavsky
Wild Dance (Rikud Praei) Vardit BarNes
Helen & the HORA Staff
Wish you a Happy, Healthy & Safe Holiday. Looking forward
to another exciting year of dancing together in 2007
By Cheryl Soref Madison, WI
Some years back, I tried to find a male dance partner in advance for Tamaron, by posting an email on Rikud. I got a lot of "you go, girl!" messages from females, and one nasty diatribe from a male who assumed I was trolling for a sex partner, not a dance partner. I did not find many male partners for couples sets at that dance camp, or at many other dance camps or dance sessions.
Since that time, I have decided that, rather than grousing and getting frustrated and sitting out couple sets, if i can't find a man to dance with, I will be the best "man" that I can. I still much prefer to dance the female part with an accomplished male dancer. However, the reality of the male to female ratio, coupled with the facts that I am a very tall woman, never bring my own partner, and am usually an outsider to the dance communities at camp, means that my strategy has brought me more partner dance time, exclusive offers for couple dancing events (where I dance the man's part) and the opportunity to meet more women at dance camps, in a social manner. I have gotten lots of compliments from women I dance with on my skills as "a good guy." I have even gotten the "good guy" comment from men in the couples around me, during learning at Chagigah; my presence nearby helped them learn dances better. And yes, I pretend to flirt with my female partners, all in fun.
Admittedly, this strategy does not work for every woman. Some women will not want to step over the perceived gender barrier, for a variety of reasons. Also, dancing the man's part requires slightly different skills than dancing the woman's part. I find that, as the man, I also learn the woman's part, because as the man I am responsible for my partner's position during the dance, so I have to know what she is doing and how it relates spatially to what I am doing. I am also responsible for preventing collisions with other dancers.
In general, dancing couples dances with any partner of either sex beats the heck out of moping on the sidelines and fantasizing about dance camp gigolos. I will continue to pursue better skills in the man's part, while gratefully accepting offers to dance as the woman, requested by men or by women.
You may quote me. I would like to add, that I am fully heterosexual and married to a non-dancing man who has been my life partner for 24 years. I dance the man's role, because it is better than not dancing at all.
You should come to
You'll see a lot of dances like that (including Ad Kama Ahavtich, Nishar Itach, and Rak At) done by female couples.
I've been dancing the male role for at least 16 years, and I am far from the exception.
Apart from regular classes we also have the choice ( in
By Tania B
Prescription: Dance for heart's sake
Italian researchers have come up with a novel way for cardiac rehabilitation patients to exercise their damaged hearts without having to squeeze into spandex or gyrate in a gym: waltzing. The dance proved to be just as effective as bicycle and treadmill training for improving exercise capacity in a study of 110 heart failure patients. Dancers also reported slightly more improvement in sleep, mood, and the ability to do hobbies, do housework and have sex than the others.
"This may be a more effective way of getting people to exercise, and may be more fun than running on a treadmill," said Dr. Robert Bonow, cardiology chief at Northwestern University School of Medicine. "Maybe we should try that here. I'm not sure we can get Americans to waltz, but they can certainly dance."
Exercise is crucial after people suffer heart problems, but getting people to stick with it is tough. As many as 70 percent drop out of traditional programs, said Dr. Romualdo Belardinelli, director of cardiac rehabilitation at Lancisi Heart Institute in
"We have to find something that may capture the patients' interest," he said Sunday at an American Heart Association meeting in
They chose waltzing because it is "internationally known" and is quite aerobic, as the study ultimately verified, he said.
The same researchers previously showed that waltzing could help heart attack sufferers regain strength. The new study involved 89 men and 11 women, average age 59, with heart failure. The condition occurs when weakened hearts can no longer pump blood effectively, making simple activities like climbing stairs and taking the dog for a walk tough to do, let alone enjoy.
Researchers assigned 44 patients to a supervised exercise training program of cycling and treadmill work three times a week for eight weeks. Another group of 44 took dance classes in the hospital gym, alternating between slow and fast waltzes for 21 minutes, three times a week for eight weeks. A third group of 22 patients had no exercise. Heart rates were checked during both activities, more extensive exercise tests were done at the start and end of the study, and artery imaging exams were performed.
Cardiopulmonary fitness increased at similar rates among those who danced or exercised and did not change in those who did neither. Oxygen uptake increased 16 percent among exercisers and 18 percent among dancers. The anaerobic threshold -- the point where muscles fatigue -- rose 20 percent among exercisers and 21 percent among dancers. Other measures, including a general index of fitness, were comparable.
Imaging showed that dancers' arteries were more able to dilate and expand in response to exercise than non-exercisers. Part of the benefit may be that dancers had a partner and social companion rather than cycling or walking on a treadmill alone, doctors said.
"This type of program is more effective," Belardinelli said, "because it is fun”
read HORA NEWSLETTER 2005 here