I have just returned from an incredible trip to Israel where I participated in a two-week dance intensive at Kibbutz Ga’aton, home and birthplace of the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. The founder of the Company, Yehudit Arnon, is a survivor of the Holocaust who, when she was eighteen years old in the Auschwitz concentration camp, decided that if she survived she would forever dedicate her life to dance. She came to live on the kibbutz a few years after her time in Auschwitz, and once there she taught dance to the children living on the kibbutz, including Rami Be’er, who now succeeds her as director and choreographer of the Company. The contemporary style of the company is abstract, incredibly creative, and fascinating to watch. The summer program that I attended attracts dancers from all over the world, including Israel, America, Canada, Italy, Poland, Holland, Hungary, and more. I had an absolute blast meeting people at the intensive, and I made wonderful friends with whom I am still in touch and miss very much. We lived in dorm-like rooms, and danced from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, taking ballet everyday, as well as modern, contemporary repertoire, Pilates, and floor bar. The weather was incredibly warm and sunny every single day, and lots of sweating during dance class was a very normal occurrence. After our dance day, we had a few hours to do whatever we wanted on the kibbutz – swim in the pool, hang out at the café, go to the supermarket, or just chill and nap back in our rooms. After dinner we had an evening activity class, such as meditation, self-defense, massage, stretching, etc. The schedule was exactly what I wanted – lots of dance, but also free time to be with friends in a less structured manner.
The foreigners arrived a couple days before the Israelis, in order to give us a time to settle in and get used to everything. On the first day of the program, we were taught about how kibbutz life nowadays is different than it was years ago. One woman who had lived her whole life on the kibbutz spoke to us about how when she was a kid, raising the children was a communal job of many people on the kibbutz. Now she says that in general, parents raise their own children instead. We got to visit a kindergarten class on a Friday and participate in their preparations for Shabbat. We sang songs with the children and listened to the teacher read them stories (in Hebrew). On both Friday evenings that we were there for the program, we left the kibbutz to have Shabbat dinner with host families, the first weekend in Akko, and the second weekend in Jerusalem. On the first Saturday of the program, we went to Rosh Hanikra, Akko, and Haifa. On the second Friday, we went to the Old City in Jerusalem with a tour guide. The next day I went to Ein Gedi with my host family, and we hiked to a waterfall and swam in the natural pools. Traveling with Israeli families on the weekends was excellent; I especially enjoyed the opportunities it presented to bond with the other dancers and learn firsthand about Israeli culture.
At the end of the two-week program, my parents and sister joined me in Israel to see the concluding dance performance, and then we stayed in Jerusalem for a few days. We were in a wonderful youth hostel on Jaffa Street, with easy access to the Old City. Our family time abroad concluded with some traveling in Europe before arriving home in early August. Overall, it was an extremely incredible trip, and I am grateful for every moment of it. I am especially thankful to the Weisbein Fund for providing me with the opportunity to attend the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company intensive. The program was absolutely perfect, and I learned so much about both dance and Israeli culture. My trip to Israel was so much fun, and I definitely hope to return someday.
Elana Valastro
