Etz Chayim Synagogue Hosts Israeli Dance Classes for Adults

Gina Chodirker has been doing Israeli dance for nearly 3 decades and is now hosting classes at Congregation Etz Chayim.

GINA’s JOURNEY INTO ISRAELI DANCE:

Gina has been interested in learning folk dancing for years and finally got the opportunity in the fall of 1996 when her children’s schedules were such that she could dance on Tuesday nights. After her first lesson at the Rosh Pina Synagogue with instructor Shoshana Shalev-Minuk, Gina was “hooked.” So, I danced with her until the year 2000. But, she had a car accident and had a bad back injury that didn’t allow her to teach anymore.”

For a short time, a group of the dancers were able to meet in the old Aerobics studio at the Rady JCC, with no formal program. Whoever knew a dance would simply teach it, with Gina often taking a leading role. This arrangement did not last very long because the Rady JCC converted the space to offices and the current Rkade.

Regardless, Gina still wanted to continue practicing Israeli Dance. She contacted both the Rady JCC and Chai to see if they could offer formal lessons. Chai would temporarily offer classes at their studio in Notre Dame. Unfortunately, this also ended after a short time.

In 2004, Gina would start to transition from student to teacher. At first, this was daunting for Gina as she had limited formal dance training, “as a child, I took ballet and tap,” she remarked, but that was the extent of it.

TEACHING ISRAELI DANCE

So, how did Gina wind up as a teacher? Well, as Gina recalls, back in 2002, “she was still desperate to continue dancing” and began “nudging” the Rady Centre to offer a class. However, there was a catch: they did not have an instructor. So, they asked Gina if she would be willing to teach a beginners’ class. This was her first foray into teaching Israeli dance, which evolved into Gina teaching beginners and beyond in the fall of 2004. Israeli Folk Dancing was held weekly at the Rady JCC until early March 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit.

Although the classes started off relatively small, they consisted of dancers who love the music and the dance form. Gina said these experiences helped invigorate her passion for Israeli Dance; thereafter, to increase her repertoire, she would begin to attend conferences in Miami, Chicago, Palm Springs and Toronto. Gina described how the workshops were valuable teaching tools, saying, “At these workshops, they bring in choreographers from Israel, and they teach new material, and I would get excited and bring it back and teach it to my group.” Through learning, Gina got progressively more involved and increasingly knowledgeable about the techniques and history of Israeli Dance, with a particular focus on folk elements.

While Gina says she does not have a personal favorite dance, she almost always starts with “Mayim Mayim” when teaching beginners. Gina said that “Eretz Eretz” and “Od Lo Ahavti Dai” are also classics and that learning moves to one song can help with another.

Gina explained that once the students learn the steps in Mayim Mayim, they will have already learned a significant portion of the steps in “Od Lo Ahavti Dai.” She commented that “just like every language, every dance type, I guess, has its own vocabulary.” As a result, Gina can also draw upon the students’ experiences with other forms of dance when explaining moves. For instance, when Gina is teaching the Israeli dance step called ‘Tcherkesia’, she will point out that the same step is called a Mambo in Zumba or other Latin dancing.

ETZ CHAYIM ISRAELI DANCE CLASS DETAILS:

Starting with the first class on Oct. 29th, the classes have been held on Tuesdays from 7 – 9 pm at 1155 Wilkes Ave for a small fee of $8.

Gina says registering in advance of the class is preferable so she and the synagogue know how many people are attending; however, drop-ins are also welcome.

Gina said adults of all ages are welcome to attend. This active new group of students range in age from 30 – to 70, including many people who previously danced with Gina at the Rady JCC.

The class does not require any level of dance knowledge. Gina said, “I’ve heard people say, ‘I can’t dance. I have two left feet.’And my answer to them is if you can walk, you can dance!”

Reflecting on their first class at Etz Chayim, Gina said, “It’s a great group! I think they’re so impressive; they learn all the dances so quickly! I think they’re looking forward to continuing this and progressing.”According to her, they learned 10 classes in 2 hours, which she happily described as “unprecedented for a beginner class.”

More information can be found online at https://www.congregationetzchayim.ca/

To get in contact, email info@etzchayim.com or phone (204) 589-6305.