New and most popular dances from Israel

Israeli folk dancing started thousands of years ago during Biblical times. One of the first times dancing is mentioned is in the Bible when Bathsheba danced in front of King David when he returned victorious from a war. After this, folk dancing increased in popularity and much dancing was done at various activities such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other types of celebrations.\ud After the destruction of Israel by the Romans, the Hebrew people dispersed all over the world. Although some of the original styling was preserved, the Hebrews absorbed different dances from all over the world, in whatever country they lived. To these dances they added their own type of music and styling.\ud After the re-creation of Israel, Hebrew people from almost every country in the world came to live in Israel. With them they brought many different cultures and dances. After several wars and a new generation growing up in the Middle East, new music and dances were created about war, love, religion, and every-day life in Israel today. Together the old and new culture combined to make these dances uniquely Israeli.\ud In the last few years in America, the interest in Israeli folk dancing grew tremendously. In many parts of the country, in schools, colleges, camps, community centers, and international folk dance circles, the dances are not only taught, but exhibited as well. It adds to their popularity and acceptance. The excitement of the music, the many varied styles and moods of the dances, make them uniquely exciting.\ud After dancing for fifteen years, I have decided to make this album of Israeli folk dances. There are hundreds of beautiful dances and I have tried to reproduce some of the most popular ones. All of the dances in this instruction manual originated in Israel. Even someone who does not know how to dance can enjoy listening to the music. I have tried to make the dance instructions as clear and simple as possible. This album and the dance instructions were produced for educational purposes