Israeli folk dances have been choreographed since the 1930s. Started by secular Ashkenazi women in Palestine, to embody Zionist ideology. Their use of European dances and the appropriation of steps from many sources- Jews of Middle Eastern origin, Hasidic communities, Druze, Palestinian Arabs- reflect the socialist aspirations and colonial tactics at Israel's formation. While offering practitioners a sense of liberation, collective connection, and affiliation with Israel, they can also be studied to trace the contradictions and conflicts within Israeli society and in Israel-Palestine.
We will learn dances from the cannon and read primary and secondary sources that highlight the dances' context and impact.