Israeli Folk Dance!

Well, since moving back to Langley I've had the opportunity to pick up an old hobby I enjoyed last time I was in school -- dancing! Specifically, Israeli Folk Dance. My teacher asked a group of her students to perform at the Abbotsford Multicultural Festival on behalf of Israel (at 12 noon, if you can make it), so I will actually be dancing on stage tomorrow -- exciting and terrifying! Here are some of the dances we will be doing:
Tzadik Katamar -- my all-time favourite

Nigun Atik

Mayim Mayim

Hine Ma Tov -- not my favourite, because it's a line dance rather than a circle.

This is more what it usually looks like:
Ma Na'avu -- our group is about this size, but a little more energetic.

Ki Eshmera -- we dance like this, but don't have so many people or such a large space.

I hope you enjoyed the links, even though you can't all come to the performance! Pray that it goes well, everyone stays safe, and the audience is moved by it :-) .

New Posts to YouTube

We raised a butterfly. This video is from an hour after it emerged, before the wings were strong enough to fly.


Carrie Ann saying "Liberry" (her favourite place to go, after Grandma's place and along with church potluck), and "chugga chugga choo choo" with Bethany and Dora.


Bethany's class performed this song for the Homelinks final program:


Matthias' class performed the "Spanish Flea" -- this is an excerpt.


That's it for the May videos, now I'm going to work on the pictures!

Joy!

Rob posted this song/video on his blog, and I wanted to share it here as well.

I don't know what the creators actually had in mind, but to me, it was the voice of God saying, "Be joyful! I want my children to be joyful!"
It reminds me of a song we sang in highschool choir: "And the Father will dance over you in joy" by Mark Hayes
(Full Text)
which was based on Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
(from the Bible Gateway).

Have you ever watched the movie "Evan Almighty"? The last scene always makes me think of this too. I am so sure that God dances, in pure joy!

Legalism doesn't allow dancing -- nor does it allow mourning. There are also times when I am sure God weeps -- at times with us, and at times over us! But that's a different one of Rob's posts!

Dance Recital

Bethany had her end of the year dance recital at the end of June. I got to be "backstage Mom", which was a lot of fun! It made for a busy week, especially since the parents were responsible for the stage makeup and I don't have a clue about makeup -- nor any around. But a friend from Homelinks who had a daughter performing as well helped me out, and I only had to buy a couple things that you shouldn't share. There are a few pictures up in my photo gallery (link at the right), but here is one of Bethany's class doing their "final pose":

The teacher liked the "hand pointing down" pose, and used it in a lot of the dances. Carrie Ann must have noticed, because on Canada Day, while the Creston Fiddlers were playing, she danced around in a circle with one arm up, hand pointed down! In fact, she danced around and around until she was so dizzy she couldn't walk in a straight line anymore. It was quite cute, and lots of the grandmas commented to me on it afterwards. She also walked through the audience, greeting everyone. I think she might have been looking for Grandma. She sure was excited when she finally found her!