Dance Groups - 2024 Festival
Avirah
President: Liora Petter-Lipstein
Artistic Director: Lanie Berger
Avirah is University of Maryland's Israeli Dance Troupe. Originally formed in 1997 and revived in 2013, Avirah is now a strong performing group with diverse dance backgrounds. Avirah performs on campus, in the Greater Washington DC area, and at Israeli Dance Festivals along the East Coast. More information about Avirah can be found on their website.
Horah Arayot
5th Grade
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Sherry Fox
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School’s Lower School Israeli Dance program was created to develop a strong connection to k’lal Yisrael, the community of Israel and the Jewish people, and Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel in its students. Israeli dance is a powerful and joyful way for students to learn about Israeli culture and history and to develop community.
Horah Arayot
4th Grade
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Sherry Fox
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School’s Lower School Israeli Dance program was created to develop a strong connection to k’lal Yisrael, the community of Israel and the Jewish people, and Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel in its students. Israeli dance is a powerful and joyful way for students to learn about Israeli culture and history and to develop community.
Keff
Manager: Judy Kerbel
Keff is made up of dancers who have a wide-ranging history of
performance in Argentina, Israel and all over the United States. While some of our dancers have performed recently in the Washington and Boston Israeli Dance Festivals, for others this is the first time back on the stage after many years.
Kesem
Artistic Directors and Choreographers: Marnina Cowan and Hannah Weisman
Kesem is the DC area Israeli dance troupe for 7th and 8th graders. Kesem was created to transition middle school students into Yesodot. Members of the group meet locally once a week to learn new dances and to share their growing love of Israeli folk dance.
Machol Sagol
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Abby Kerbel
Machol Sagol is excited to make its Israeli Dance Festival DC debut! The group is comprised of 6th, 7th & 8th graders' part of the Israeli Dance elective at the Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, VA. Building on their enthusiasm for Israeli Dance and developed through their participation in Gesher's Israeli Dance program across all grades pre-K through 8th grade, they are excited to be the first group from Virginia in the Festival.
Mavrik
Directors: Julie Berg and Amalia Safer
Milton - Lehavot
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Marnina Cowan
Mavrik is a women's Israeli dance troupe in Washington, DC Their style mixes traditional Israeli dance with a modern twist. In addition to the Israeli Dance Festival DC, Mavrik also performs in the Israel Folkdance Festival Boston.
The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital has developed an Israeli dance curriculum across all grades. The goals of the program include
exposure to various aspects of Israeli culture and Jewish heritage. This curriculum is in complete harmony with the school's mission and core values and is an example of the integration of the arts in Jewish education. Today the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders represent the more than 400 dancers at Milton with pride and joy.
Milton - Orot
Artistic Directors and Choreographers: Jennie Berger and Sherry Fox
The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital has developed an Israeli dance curriculum across all grades. The goals of the program include
exposure to various aspects of Israeli culture and Jewish heritage. This curriculum is in complete harmony with the school's mission and core values and is an example of the integration of the arts in Jewish education. Today the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders represent the more than 400 dancers at Milton with pride and joy.
Rikudei Yachad
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Hannah Weisman
Rikudei Yachad is the newest DMV young adult Israeli dance troupe, and we are grateful to Shaare Torah Congregation (Gaithersburg, MD) for welcoming us into their space and community.
Milton - Zikukim
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Sherry Fox
The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital has developed an Israeli dance curriculum across all grades. The goals of the program include exposure to various aspects of Israeli culture and Jewish heritage. This curriculum is in complete harmony with the school's mission and core values and is an example of the integration of the arts in Jewish education. Today the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders represent the more than 400 dancers at Milton with pride and joy.
Yesodot
Artistic Directors: Mike Fox and Marnina Cowan
Yesodot, an Israeli dance troupe comprised of high school teenagers from the Washington, DC area, prides itself on its ability to share Jewish culture with Jews and non-Jews through the medium of folk dance. The performances help audiences understand more about the land of Israel and the diverse backgrounds of the Jewish people. The dancers perform at many religious schools, old-age homes, and local/national Jewish and multi-ethnic folk festivals in the Baltimore/Washington area.