Helen and the HORA staff wish you a happy new year 2008.
2007 The year that was...
As this year draws to a close, and we look back at how quickly the time has passed, we appreciate the fun, friendships and joy that Israeli Dancing brings to all of us. HORA classes are strong and vibrant, energising our dancers and attracting new people. Our well organised special programs, parties, camps and workshops have been well attended and enjoyed by all.
Thankyou to Helen for providing us with this social activity which is so good for the mind, body and spirit. We look forward to dancing together in good health for many years to come.
HORA CAMP 2007
Ballarat
LOVE LOVE LOVE
We love dancing!
We love HORA!
We love dance camps!
and….
WE LOVE GADI & YARON!
When we get to the end of the year, and when camp was in March at the beginning of the year, we tend to forget the anticipation, excitement euphoria & ultimate exhaustion of the camp experience.
This year’s theme was a given. After all, we do love HORA, we all love dancing, we all love dance camps, and of course, WE DO LOVE OUR FRIENDS GADI & YARON!
After the usual preparation, organization and registrations, we were ready to go to the airport, and to Ballarat, to The Colonial Motor Inn and to the Wool Shed once more. We had lovingly collected a great quantity of love themed decorations, which Gadi & Yaron magically & lovingly arranged to spectacularly transform the Wool Shed and the dining room.
T’shirts were black (by popular demand) and the red & white LOVE HORA logo was once again creatively designed by Rohan Appel.
This year was HORA’s 20th camp and to mark this special occasion, we had a massive mille feuille birthday cake which was an enormous hit with the sweet toothed connoisseurs
Accommodation, food and venue were all up to standard and campers were very complimentary. Thankyou once again for your calls, letters and emails after camp.
Gadi & Yaron, Yaron & Gadi, what can we say.. Each time they come, we love them more. Gadi is the most creative, professional & multi talented Israeli Dance choreographer teacher and dance innovator. Yaron is personality plus, with amazing dance style and great teaching skills. Both are so friendly, warm and personal, and we love to have them here dancing with us.
In the past, we’ve done surveys about people’s preferences, and although the dances taught at a camp are low on the list of what’s important, Gadi & Yaron always leave us with amazing circle and partner dances that are all different in style and favorites in our repertoire. This camp was no exception.
So we danced, we learnt, we danced, we socialized, we danced, we laughed, we danced, we ate, we danced, we drank, we danced, we had a lot of fun and we slept a bit…..
Now plans are well under way for our 21st Camp on March 28th, 29th & 30th 2008 with RAFI ZIV. Rafi is a warm personable talented choreographer of dances that we love. Mark the dates in your calendar now. More details to come.
About Rafi Ziv
From his website: www.nirkod.com
Born in the town Lod in 1966. Started his musical education as a trumpeteer in the City Orchestra and performed in < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" prefix="st1" namespace="">Israel and abroad. This is where he was exposed to Israeli folk dancing - in joint performances of Orchestras and performing Israeli dance groups and felt the "urge to be with them on the stage"
When Rafi was 18 he was invited by a friend to join him at an Israeli Dance session for youth - this is when he realised that this is the place for him. A few months later he joined the city Dance Troupe.
In the Israeli army he served as an Electronics Technician in the Air Force and voluntarily taught the soldiers Israeli dancing.
Graduated with honors from the Bieth Hemlin school for Markidim, while at his last year in service.
He learned Physical education in Beer Sheba, where he became part of the community and opened Israeli Folk Dance sessions in Beer Sheba and the surrounding towns - Ben Gurion University, Omer, Meitar, Lehavim in addition to teaching children at schools.
Production of many events, sessions with performers such as Shlomi Shabat, Uri Feinman, Doron Mazar, Aviva Avidan, Liora, Sagiv Cohen and more....\
Marathons:
With special orchestras, for holidays and other special occasions .
Every month or two Rafi holds the famous Givat Brener Marathons with hundreds of dancers and Markidim
Worldwide known Choreographer:
During his studies at the university he choreographed his first dances - Simchat Hanigun, Menagev Lach et haDma'ot and Al Tishkechi Otanu
Since then Rafi has choreographed more than 70 dances that have become popular worldwide.
Every year Rafi is invited to dance camps all over the world and is considered one of the most prominent figures in Israeli Folk Dancing.
WORKSHOPS WITH SHMULIK GOV-ARI
or was it SHLOMO MAMAN …
HORA together with New Zealand, arranged to bring out Shmulik Gov-Ari in October this year. We had organized 3 workshops at the beginning of October, when, at the last minute, Shmulik was unable to come. He graciously arranged for Shlomo Maman to come in his place.
Shlomo was here for almost a week and we had a very successful and very well attended program of workshops; one circles only w/shop on Monday night, one partners only w/shop on Wednesday night, and a mixed w/shop on Saturday morning.
Shlomo is a favorite amongst Melbourne dancers for his flamboyant style and personality. He has endeared himself to us over the years and during his past visits here. Once again, Shlomo proved to be an entertaining and competent teacher. The dances he taught were well received, especially the beautiful partner dances.
Even though he has many hits with his circle dances, more of his partners seem to become classics. We love them!
HORA DAY CLASSES
For those of you who don’t know, HORA runs two very successful day classes on Wednesday and Thursday mornings weekly. In fact, some attendees are still dancing from the inception of these classes nearly twenty years ago.
Even though there are many similarities, day classes have a very different feeling to night classes. Both are full of fun and energy, friendly, and exciting. Both have the added bonus of experienced staff members adding to the atmosphere.
But dancing in the daytime is more low key and personal. This is not due to numbers as the day classes are steady in attendance, with the age group very varied. People seem to be more relaxed and social, as they welcome new members into the HORA “family”.
HORA dancers who frequent both day and night classes will testify that both are special in very different ways. There are even dancers who come to both day sessions each week and love them both.
Wednesday morning’s repertoire has grown steadily over the years and includes all our classic lower level dances as well as the latest favorites. Our Thursday morning repertoire is more extensive and includes a large number of our most challenging dances, general repertoire, as well as the newest dances taught at HORA. There is common repertoire on both days of course, so that people will feel comfortable dancing in either class.
I find these classes fun and energizing and love to see all the happy and smiling faces greeting me each week. It is very rewarding to know that Israeli dancing is such a highlight of the week for a lot of dancers.
Thankyou to Sara, Diane and Lilly, for their support and help and for all that they add to these classes.
We invite everyone who has a free morning to join us and experience dancing in the day classes.
Sue Appel
2006 HORA Newsletter here2005 HORA Newsletter here