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August 2001 Issue

Horacizing: Simcha Dancing Works That Jewish Body

By Deena Yellin

The students march into their weekly dance class with bodies itching to groove and feet laced up in dance shoes. But this is not the typical dance club set. For starters, there are no men allowed here; the mostly Orthodox troupe frowns upon men and women dancing together. Then there is the unusually modest attire of long skirts, loose fitting blouses, and wigs or hats. The music blaring from the stereo is not on any hits list, except that of chassidic rockers who croon Hebrew or Yiddish numbers.

Clearly, no lambada will be performed here.

Instead this company of dancers kicks up their heels in a complicated series of steps, hops, and spins in perfect rhythm with the upbeat music. They are engaged in what is referred to in Jewish circles as "simcha dancing." Simcha, which means joy or happiness in Hebrew, also refers to the weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs where the dances are performed.

Simcha dancing, which upgrades Israeli folk dancing steps with upbeat music and complex choreography, combines stepping, hopping, whirling, and clapping at a frantic pace. The dance style has been around for nearly two decades but has boomed in recent years. As simcha dancing has gained popularity in Orthodox circles, classes have popped up in Jewish communities throughout the globe. Many can be found at synagogues, Jewish centers, and schools or in the homes of simcha dance teacher/choreographers like Atara Serle, who leads some 30 classes a week at synagogues, schools, parties, and camps.

On a recent Tuesday night at Congregation Beth Shalom in Long Island, Serle led her crew through some intense "warmup" dances before introducing a new dance, featuring a complex series of kick ball chain, grapevine, and heel-toe combinations. At first, they kept their eyes glued to their feet but when the group got rolling--with their feet in perpetual motion and arms swinging in sync--the enjoyment was unmistakable. Although many of the students were old enough to be grandmothers, the parade of energy and smiles was reminiscent of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.

"It's like kosher aerobics," said Carol Lebovic, a West Hempstead grandmother who attends two simcha dance classes a week in addition to regularly playing tennis, swimming, and running the treadmill. "It's a great form of exercise," a common refrain among simcha dance students.

Participants cite a myriad of other reasons for attending the class, among them the sheer joy and spirit of the dance routines and the easy comradery among students. Many students have studied together for years. They giggle at each other's missteps, chat about their children and invite one another to their simchas.

"I'm not that religious and the people I associate with don't simcha dance but I love this class. It's a very friendly group," said Joan Vegosen, a special education teacher from Valley Stream.

Debby Rosenfeld, a homemaker from Woodmere, chimed in, "It's a night out with the girls away from the kids. We shmooze."

Lillian Steinberg of West Hempstead said she was drawn to the class because she felt like she had two left feet in a world of Jewish Ginger Rogers. At simchas, she spent too much time sitting at her table, watching other women glide across the dance floor. "I really wanted to dance but you don't want to feel like you are fumbling over your feet," said Steinberg, a librarian.

Today, after 10 years of classes, Steinberg is seldom at her table when the band plays. More likely, she is on the front lines of the dance floor, lifting her legs high to the music as others follow her lead. "I am comfortable doing any dance," she said boasts.

Dance has ancient roots in Jewish culture, dating back to an era when it was an important aspect of celebrating rituals, holidays, and weddings. Before the advent of simcha dancing, guests at Jewish weddings often raced around in monotonous circles or performed simple folk dances.

With the birth of Jewish rock music, which put lyrics from Jewish liturgy to contemporary rhythms, came heart racing, sweat inducing line and circle dancing, known as simcha dancing. Largely choreographed by New York dance teachers and dancers, many dances borrow from Israeli folk, Spanish, Western, and even contemporary dances, such as the River Dance. The dances reach other parts of the country through videos and teachers and students who perform them at simchas.

New dances are made up every week. "As soon as a new song hits the stores or radio, there's a mad rush to create a unique dance to accompany it," said Tzirel Goldschmiedt of Far Rockaway, a longtime simcha dance teacher/choreographer.

While many simcha dancers swear that their hobby is the best preventative for a heart condition, Goldschmiedt claims its appeal is as much the boost for the body as it is adrenaline for the soul.

"This is a lot more meaningful than aerobics," she said. "When I sing and dance to these songs, I know what they mean and they have a deeper meaning than other songs." For example, when she swings her body to the words, "Modim anachnu lach," a Hebrew prayer that means "We thank you God," she ponders her gratitude for the Almighty.

"Most of these songs praise God or refer to our love for Jerusalem and Israel," she said. "When I dance to this, I can really feel the music."

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