Campus organizations bond over Israeli dance lessons

On April 7, the MSU lounge was alive with the sound of laughter and Israeli folk dancing music. The Goodrich Hillel teamed up with the Salsa and Latin Dance Club to present Melissa Bachar, a professional Israeli folk dancer and instructor.

The Goodrich Hillel is named after Natalie Goodrich, a community supporter, and began a little over two years ago. This night was made possible by way of a grant from the Small and Mighty Hillels, a national organization. It was a way to bring multiple clubs together all with the common denominator of dance. Dancing is very important in the Jewish culture, and this event was a great way to bring together multiple groups at a multi-ethnic dance night to display their talents.

Bachar is well-known throughout the Israeli folk dancing community and is hard to come by. Sarah Levine, a junior biology major and co-president of the Goodrich Hillel expressed her enthusiasm for the event.

 

“I’m really excited,” Levine said. “We’ve been trying to get her for three years now.”

Karen Berman, the faculty advisor to Hillel, introduced Bachar, who then gave a brief background on Israeli folk dancing. This style of dance started in 1924, and has since progressed from a traditional form to now a more modern, sophisticated style with influences from many different cultures.

Around 25 people were present at the event. Not only students, but also community supporters such as Julia Andrews, who has been an influential donor to the Goodrich Hillel, enjoyed the dancing and mixed cultural experience. Andrews was interested in attending the event because she had previously traveled to Israel and participated in the same type of dancing there.

The night started out with Bachar instructing different forms of line dances with the group. There was no intimidation factor since no one there had ever done this sort of dance before. Everyone was enjoying themselves, the energy level was high and laughter abounded since no one was taking themselves seriously.

Meggie Dant, a senior marketing major and co-president of the Salsa Club, came to broaden her repertoire of dance.

“It’s something new, and I wanted to give it a shot and embrace all kinds of dance,” Dant said.

Although it was a fast paced with intricate footwork, she found it to be taught quickly and easy to pick up.

Bachar then taught different partnered dances, and some that changed partners in the middle of the dance. No one was reluctant to try this as it was a way to meet more people there and get more out of the experience as a whole.

Overall the night was a success, everyone enjoyed themselves and no one felt left out. This event was a great way to show others about the Jewish culture through the teaching of Bachar, and the entertainment of folk dancing.

The Goodrich Hillel’s next event will be the Passover Seder on April 21 at 6 p.m. The Passover story will be told and traditional Jewish food will be served.