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Intangible Cultural Heritage of Israel Center
FOLK DANCES
Folk dance is a form of intangible cultural heritage that encompasses traditional dances performed by communities, often passed down through generations. These dances are expressions of cultural identity, social customs, and historical experiences.
Characteristics: Created and performed by specific cultural or ethnic communities, learned and passed down through demonstration and participation, continuously evolving and practiced by communities in contemporary contexts, often tied to celebrations, rituals, social gatherings, and commemorative events, reflecting the values, history, and social structures of the community. Folk dance is thus recognized as an important element of intangible cultural heritage that deserves protection and transmission to future generations.
Folk dance elements in intangible cultural heritage: Dances associated with ceremonies, weddings, religious occasions, festivals, seasonal celebrations, community gatherings, and social bonding; dances linked to cultural history and specific dance techniques, or styles unique to a culture.
Fourteen folk-dance groups appeared at the first Dalia festival, performing international folk dances as well as original Israeli and Biblical ones. A group from Ein Harod, led by Rivka Sturman, performed a dance called “Ha-Goren” (The Barn). The new dance “Mayim, Mayim” (Water, Water), which Elsa Dublon had choreographed to music by Yehuda Sharett for the water pageant for the 1937 Water Festival in Na’an, gained national exposure.
The second national folk-dance festival, which took place at Kibbutz Dalia in July 1947, has remained in the collective memory because of the nighttime curfew that the British authorities imposed on the roads. Five hundred dancers and twenty-five thousand spectators remained in the Kibbutz Dalia amphitheater overnight, singing and dancing, transforming national folk dance into one more symbol of the struggle for independence against the British Mandate. Two further folk-dance festivals took place at Kibbutz Dalia, in 1951 and 1958.
Gurit Kadman was a pioneer of folk dance in Israel. Dancer, Choreographer, dance teacher, and sports teacher. In 1929, following the request of Dr. Siegfried Lehmann, Gurit Kadman organized two dance festivals at the Ben Shemen Youth Village where she taught. In 1931 began to train in the field of dance sports associations acting in Tel Aviv. In collaboration with director Shimon Refaeli, she founded the band for movement and speech, the first in its field in Israel.
Leah Bergstein was a choreographer who, at the beginning of the 1930s, created festival dances at kibbutzim. The unique creation of festival pageants contributed greatly to the development of a genre of rural Israeli festival and holiday celebrations and the creation of the first Erez Israel dances. The first such celebration in which Leah Bergstein participated took place in 1929, organized by the Shepherds’ Group of Kibbutz Bet Alfa in the Jezreel Valley. Bergstein and the poet-composer Mattityahu Shelem, who were members of this group, helped to create a festival to celebrate the end of the sheep-shearing. In cooperation with Shelem, Bergstein continued to choreograph dances and design festival pageants at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan in the Zevulun Valley, to which she moved in the 1940s.
At Bet Alfa, Leah Bergstein encountered the culture of the neighboring Bedouin, which she found both attractive and mysterious. Stemming from a connection to the earth, to nature and its annual cycle, and from the ability to form a strong connection between everyday and festival days, the Bedouin culture had a rich tradition of ceremonies, songs, and dances to express the feelings of a nomadic shepherd society. For Bergstein, this tradition and its adherents symbolized the ancient Land of Israel. For the members of Bet Alfa, shepherds and flocks served both as a connection with the land and its landscape during Biblical times and as a universal symbol of peace.
Bergstein and Shelem sought a way to depict the complex relationship between nature, a nation’s cultural tradition, and the new life in pre-state Israel in general and on the kibbutz in particular. Cultural creation, in their opinion, had to be carried out as part of building the national and societal basis of the country. Together, they created ceremonies for nature and labor festivals, of which the sheep-shearing festival at Bet Alfa was the first. Later, at Ramat Yohanan, they created other festival ceremonies, including the Omer, Tu bi-Shevat, the Festival of First Fruits, the Harvest Festival/Water Festival and the Wedding Celebration. Bergstein choreographed fifty-one festival dances, forty of them to music composed by Shelem; the best-known of these are Rov Brakhot (Many Blessings), Hen Yeronan (Thus shall we rejoice), Shibbolet ba-Sadeh (A Sheaf in the Field) and Shiru ha-Shir (Sing the Song).
First Dalia Conference in 1944
Gurit Kadman organized the first folk dance festival at the kibbutz Dalia, which became a regular event. In the years 1944 - 1968, attended by hundreds of dancers formed the Israeli folk dance community. The first dance convention in Dalia was held on 14-15 July 1944 in an amphitheater near the kibbutz. Despite the situation in Europe, and despite the fact that the road to the kibbutz was disrupted, about 200 participants arrived, and the audience numbered about 35 thousand spectators. The Festival program included dances of Rivka Shturman performed by schoolchildren from the Kibbutz Ein Harod and Tel Yosef, Sara Levi-Tanai with the Members of Kibbutz Ramat Hakovesh, and the performance of an ethnic-Yemenite dance troupe directed by the choreographer Rachel Nadav. This conference was an important event in the development of the folk Israeli dance. As a result of the conference, the demand for Israeli dance and the Hebrew songs grew, and hundreds of new dances were created.
In 1945, the first training course for folk dance instructors was held in Israel. Only five students completed the program, becoming the nation's pioneer folk dance instructors. They started going on to teach in cities and kibbutzim across the country. Even earlier, in 1937, choreographer Elsa Dublon composed the iconic dance "Mayim Mayim," which remains widely popular today. Another influential figure among the early choreographers was Rivka Sturman, who immigrated in 1929. Bringing a rich background in modern dance, she joined the Folk Dance Department established and funded by the Histadrut to foster local dance production. Between 1942 and 1983, Sturman choreographed around 90 folk dances. Many of these have become timeless Israeli classics, including "Dodi Li," "Erev Ba," "Harmonica," "Kuma Echa," "Ma Navu," and "Debka Gilboa."
Zvi Friedhaber, who immigrated from Germany, joined the folk dance classes in Tel Aviv under the guidance of Gurit Kadman, and so he said: "As early as 1947, I heard the sentence that affected me so much, but how our fathers danced, we will not know. This sentence led me to begin researching and searching for the sources of our people's dance, from Israel and abroad, records, etc.''
Zvi Friedhaber continued his work for more than 50 years and did so passionately, scientifically studying research (earned the title of Doctor) until the establishment of the Jewish Dance Archive in his home, which is the only one of its kind in the world. The entire archive was transferred to the Israeli dance library at Beit Ariela in Tel Aviv. In the 1950s, when he was a member of the "Ha-Po'el" dance troupe, he began to teach folk dances in schools and youth movements.
Zvi Friedhaber: A pioneering scholar of Jewish dance. Prompted in 1947 by the realization that ancestral dance roots were being lost, he spent over 50 years passionately conducting scientific research. He established the unique Jewish Dance Archive at his home, which was later transferred to the Israeli Dance Library at Beit Ariela. He authored definitive books, including "Gurit Kadman - Mother and Founder".
Inbal Dance Theater
Inbal Dance Theater is Israel's first and oldest modern dance company. In August 2014, Barak Marshall, former house choreographer of the Batsheva Dance Company and son of Margalit Oved, the company's star dancer and artistic director from 1994-1996, was appointed as the new artistic director of both the company and the Inbal World Arts Centre.
The company was founded in 1949 by Israel Prize recipient Sara Levi-Tanai. Under the mentorship of Jerome Robbins—who staged many of the company’s largest works—Inbal toured internationally to critical acclaim, performing in prestigious venues such as the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway, the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre in Paris, London's Drury Lane, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Australia and La Scala de Milano.
The company rehearses and performs at the Inbal Theatre, which is located on the campus of the Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theatre in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv.
Moshiko Halevy groups
Moshe Itzhak Halevy, known to the folk dancing public as Moshiko, is the son of an old Yemenite family in Israel. He was born in Jaffa, Israel, and his first introduction to the world of dance was at the studio of Mia Arbatoba.
In 1954, Moshiko joined Inbal, the Yemenite dance theater, where he was reacquainted with his own origins, and, for six years, worked as one of Inbal's principal dancers. He participated in Inbal's two world tours of America and Europe - both of which were crowned with great success. Moshiko fell in love with Oriental folklore, and, while still a member of Inbal, tried his hand at the creation of folk dances.
In 1959, Moshiko created his first dances: Debkah Uriah, Debkah Cana'an and Et Dodim Kala, and they were instantly successful.
In 1960, Moshiko founded his own group, "Hapa'amonim" - an Israeli group dedicated to folklore, dance, and song. Moshiko continued to create dances, such as: Debkah Kurdit, Ein Adir, Hamecholet, Tfilat Hashachar, Ha Helech, etc.
In 1966, the Cultural Department of Arabs, at the Workers' Federation, appointed Moshiko as instructor and artistic advisor for minority groups in Israel such as the Circassians, Druze and Arabs. In 1968, Moshiko was invited to teach dances for three months under the auspices of NEVO - the folk dance society of Holland. He was also invited to bring 3 groups from Israel with him - Circassian, Druze and Yemenite - so that they could participate in both the Folklore Festival held in Leyden, Holland as well as the one held in Scooten, Belgium.
In 1973, Moshiko led the Inbal Dance Theater on their successful United States tour. Moshiko, in his dance creations, is influenced by his work with minority groups, and this is clearly seen in his famous Debkah dances. These dances are based on Oriental - Arab motifs, i.e., Debkah Cana'an, Bedouin Debkah, and Mishal. Moshiko has created at least 260 Israeli dances and also 190 pieces of music for his dances,
Slowly, folk dances became a common social practice alongside sing-along, which encompasses a large population, large and small, and serves as a refuge from personal and national reality. There are professional dance instructors in Israel who teach folk dancing, and they teach classes in schools and community centers; Israeli dance instructors also work abroad, giving Israeli dance lessons, especially in cities with large communities of immigrants. Most of the dancers are members of the "Dance and Choreographers Organization in Israel and the Diaspora", which serves as their professional association.
The Karmiel Festival
Driven by the ambition to create a monumental and lasting celebration of Israeli dance, the Karmiel Dance Festival was established in July 1988. Choreographer Yonatan Karmon and folk dance pioneer Tirza Hodes co-founded the event, receiving crucial backing from Karmiel’s late mayor, Baruch Venger. The festival was envisioned as a modern continuation of the historic Dalia Festivals—the national gatherings organized by Gurit Kadman between 1944 and 1968 that originally shaped the Israeli folk dance movement. By embracing the picturesque landscapes of the Galilean town of Karmiel, Karmon crafted a beautiful and expansive backdrop for this artistic endeavor.
Prominent figures in Israeli culture have carefully safeguarded the festival's artistic vision across generations. As its founding Artistic Director, Yonatan Karmon built its global reputation. He was succeeded by Shlomo Maman, who masterfully preserved the balance between traditional heritage and international guest troupes. In 2020, Gadi Bitton assumed leadership, guiding the festival into the modern digital era. Today, the event is recognized as Israel's largest dance celebration and the world's premier Israeli dance festival. Held annually, typically in July or August, it transforms the city of Karmiel for three days and three nights of nonstop dancing
During the Festival which a crowd of people gathers, viewers can observe a wide variety of shows. Israeli dancers participate in this festival, as do dancers from other countries abroad. With several performances of various dance groups, there are events that are open to the public and to all participants. The dance festival is held in various sports facilities in the city of Karmiel, among them: the amphitheater, the stage, the park, and the pavilion. Many events in the past were dedicated in honor of Israeli composers like Sasha Argov, Naomi Shemer, and Avihu Medina. Up to 250,000 people and 10,000 local and international dancers routinely attend the event. A huge opening parade through the streets, 24-hour public dance circles, and the esteemed Choreography Competitions conducted at the enormous Amphitheatre of the city —which can accommodate up to 25,000 people—are among the main attractions.
Like many types of International folk dance, each Israeli folk dance has a fixed choreography (sequence of steps) and is danced to a specific piece of music. The choreographer selects a piece of music, usually from one of the genres of Israeli music, and arranges a set of steps to fit with that music. Major folk influences include the Hora, which is originally a Romanian folk dance, the Jewish Yemenite music and steps, and the Hasidic dance tradition. There are many debka-type Israeli folk dances; the debka is originally an Arabic folk dance form of the Middle East. For example, the dances Hora Chadera (1972) and Eretz, Eretz (1974) hearken back to the Hasidic dance tradition.
Israeli folk dances are a unique phenomenon of contemporary folklore. Despite the many changes in the values, dreams, and ways of life of the Israelis, they still dance the old dances of the 1940s and 1950s—the years during which more new dances were created than in any other culture in the world. Today, the repertoire includes about 3,000 Israeli folk dances. Over the years, folk dance has become a common social practice that is deeply rooted alongside public singing, and encompasses a wide population from young to old. Professional dance instructors teach the field in schools and community centers in Israel, while Israeli instructors working abroad spread Israeli dance among Jewish and immigrant communities around the world.
