Origins of Modern Jewish Dancing

[EccentricM]

So, I've wondered if anyone knew anything on this subject. You often see Jews today to many traditional dances, but I imagine these are not Biblical or historical Hebrew dances. Some rumours suggest they may be old Canaanite dances, but I've not found much on it.  I mean they look rather cool (but so do many things in this system that Jehovah would not approve of).

 

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by EccentricM

[Hope]

I don't know, but I do love the music! Klezmer bands are so fun... and I know every word to every song in Fiddler on the Roof! 

[tekmantwo]

3 hours ago, EccentricM said:

traditional dances, but I imagine these are not Biblical or historical Hebrew dances. Some rumours suggest they may be old Canaanite dances

I'm thinking that is an old '40 years in the Wilderness' dance....

 

'Ouch, don't step there, don't step there,

'Watch out for that, don't step there.....'

[Saffron]

I have no idea, but looks like fun. And a great workout. Hahaa 

[EccentricM]

10 minutes ago, Saffron said:

I have no idea, but looks like fun. And a great workout. Hahaa 

 

Well, if you think it looks fun just by the picture, you should see when people dub over electronic music  (It goes really well!) 

 

 

 

Still I would not partake in a Jewish dance as I have no idea what it really entails. But it reminds me a lot of house dance mixed with Russian/Ukrainian Cossak & circle dances.  

 

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by EccentricM

[Hope]

you might like this - I did!  I could see King David groovin' along to this... 

 

 

[EccentricM]

20 minutes ago, Hope said:

you might like this - I did!  I could see King David groovin' along to this... 

 

 

 

It's alright, though a bit too "county" for me  

 

When it comes to Israel's music (and many genres of cultural music) I like to go down the more traditional or authentic route (though I don't mind remixes, but I suppose my tastes are more rhythmic, jazzy, swingy, funky, as opposed to country, contemporary or rock, I dislike electric guitars usually, but I like bass) . 

 

I like this for example. It's a type of music one could so a slow to medium yet passionate and full of energy dance to (much like Flamenco). 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by EccentricM

[EccentricM]

So, after doing a bit of reading I found out modern Jewish dancing we see today consists of several componants.

 

Yemenite step

This is simple left and right stepping.

 

Quote

The basic Tza'ad Temani step provides a swaying movement that changes the dancer's direction of motion, although the dancer may face forward throughout the step. It is usually a sideways movement, but may be done moving backward and forward (or vice versa). It consists of three steps, with a short pause on the final step for a "quick, quick, slow" tempo.

The most common variations are known as a right Temani (or Yemenite right), and left Temani (or Yemenite left) -Wiki Yemenite step

 

The origins of this is unclear and could be purely Isreali. Coming from the Hebrews of Yemen.  There is a ledgend I found however which mentions it.

 

Quote

Legend has it that Jewish silversmiths were sent to Yemen, then ruled by the Queen of Sheba, around 1000 BCE. In 1949, 50,000 Jews from Yemen were secretly airlifted to Israel, and their arrival had a profound influence on Israeli dance culture.  - folkdancefootnotes

 

However, when we get into the other dances they do, this is where it gets very interesting. The other components comprise of circle dances, steps and jumps known as "Dabke" and "Hora".

 

Though the origins of Dabke are unclear as it's so old, there are sources that indicate it is Canaanite of origins.

 

Quote

The Palestinian dabkeh jumps may or may not have origins in age-old Canaanite fertility rites which reflected the increasing growth of plants. They were used to scare away evil forces and to protect the security and growth of seedlings.^[8]

According to Yazbec, the Phoenicians were the first teachers of the dance in the world, and the dabke is a representative descendant of the Phoenician dances.^[9]

According to one folk tradition, the dance originated in the Levant where houses were built from stone with a roof made of wood, straw and dirt. The dirt roof had to be compacted which required stomping the dirt hard in a uniform way to compact it evenly. This event of cooperation is called ta'awon and from here comes the word awneh, meaning "help." This developed into the song Ala Dalouna (Arabic: على دلعونا‎), roughly translated, "Let's go and help". The dabke and the rhythmic songs go together in an attempt to keep the work fun and useful. - Wiki Dabke

 

This leads on to Hora however. Which has far more direct links to such pagan dances which were in not only Near East cultures but the Greeks.

 

Quote

Hora

The Horah is a circle dance that predates the State of Israel. It was introduced here by Baruch Agadati in 1924. Adapted from the Romanian hora, it has become an icon of Jewish and Israeli folk dance. It can be performed to many of the traditional klezmer and Israeli folk songs — archetypally to the music of Hava Nagila. This is the most common dance done at Jewish life cycle joyous events such as weddings and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

 

In its pioneer version, the hora was done at a whirling, breakneck pace. Each dancer’s arms were around the shoulders of those flanking him, with the circle spinning so fast that dancers were sometimes lifted off the ground. The dancing often continued for hours. -Wiki Israeli Folk Dance

 

Horae

They were originally the personifications of nature in its different seasonal aspects, but in later times they were regarded as goddesses of order in general and natural justice. "They bring and bestow ripeness, they come and go in accordance with the firm law of the periodicities of nature and of life", Karl Kerenyi observed: "Hora means 'the correct moment'."^[2] Traditionally, they guarded the gates of Olympus, promoted the fertility of the earth, and rallied the stars and constellations. The course of the seasons was also symbolically described as the dance of the Horae, and they were accordingly given the attributes of spring flowers, fragrance and graceful freshness. For example, in Hesiod's Works and Days, the fair-haired Horai, together with the Charites and Peitho crown Pandora—she of "all gifts"—with garlands of flowers.^[3] Similarly Aphrodite, emerging from the sea and coming ashore at Cyprus, is dressed and adorned by the Horai,^[4] and, according to a surviving fragment of the epic Cypria,^[5] Aphrodite wore clothing made for her by the Charites and Horai, dyed with spring flowers, such as the Horai themselves wear.

 

The earliest written mention of Horai is in the Iliad where they appear as keepers of Zeus's cloud gates.^[7] "Hardly any traces of that function are found in the subsequent tradition," Karl Galinsky remarked in passing.^[8] They were daughters of Zeus and Themis, half-sisters to the Moira.  

- Wiki Horae

 

So it seems the modern dances in their cultures and relgious practices seem to be indeed or at least look to be in connection with ancient fertility dances of Canaan and even tri-union gods of Greece (of which seemed to have adopted similar fertility rights).

[Saffron]

Wish they would add an eye roll button in between the sadness and confusion. I'd put it to good use. Lol Seriously. It never ceases to amaze me how much of every little thing people do is twisted up with fertility rituals or false gods. 

[Hope]

But even the Bible speaks of "circle dances" in a favorable way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the more negative connotations are highlighted in the research material to detract from dances that were meant to praise Jehovah in some way. 

 

I refuse to believe that all the celebrations/dances that the Israelites did back in the day were only derivations of pagan Canaanite dances.  To be fair, there are only so many ways a person can dance around... the meaning one puts to those movements are their own, I think.  Similar to the stretches done in yoga -- there are various names and "spirituality" put to the positions... but without those things, they are terrific and healthful stretches for the body.

 

It's all about intent, imo.

[EccentricM]

4 hours ago, Saffron said:

Wish they would add an eye roll button in between the sadness and confusion. I'd put it to good use. Lol Seriously. It never ceases to amaze me how much of every little thing people do is twisted up with fertility rituals or false gods. 

 

2 hours ago, Hope said:

But even the Bible speaks of "circle dances" in a favorable way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the more negative connotations are highlighted in the research material to detract from dances that were meant to praise Jehovah in some way. 

 

I refuse to believe that all the celebrations/dances that the Israelites did back in the day were only derivations of pagan Canaanite dances.  To be fair, there are only so many ways a person can dance around... the meaning one puts to those movements are their own, I think.  Similar to the stretches done in yoga -- there are various names and "spirituality" put to the positions... but without those things, they are terrific and healthful stretches for the body.

 

It's all about intent, imo.

Note I'm not saying circle dances themselves are pagan. I never stated that dancing in a circle was wrong, nor did I say the "ancient" Hebrew dances were from Canaan that would be preposterous. I just refer the actual "dance routine" these modern Jews are doing. Notice the title of the thread?

 

And yes, just like putting up a "horn sign" with the hands can refer to the devil, or can mean a phone symbol.  Intent sure. But we could say the same about Christmas (well it's not pagan now because it's about Jesus). But we do not use that reasoning because the actual "things" contained are associated with a form of false worship and even rituals that remain spritistic. My research is on exactly this when it comes to the Jews, not circle dancing it's self.

 

The Bible speaks in favor of circle dance. But what my research entails is the deeper details of "modern Jews". Remember they are not God's people anymore, they don't follow the Bible anymore, by mainly their own writings, the Talmud now. These Jews do not have Jehovah's blessing. The orginal dances are most likely long gone, and the Bible never spoke of any "specificly named" dance to be used as a part of worship or ritual. My investigation are on these modern day practices which are not just dances, but actual modern day Jewish rituals, in the same way some sects of Islam have relgious circle dance rituals and chanting. We are talking about Babylon here. They are all very much similar to each other and I find these observable similarities to be striking. The forms of worship, dress and then using similar dances as a form of worship.

 

(The Islamic Suri circle dance, often done with chants to hypnotise members into a trance.)

 

I find it interesting that the words the modern Jews use for these modern dances are directly linked to the names of the dances of the other Middle Easterns that were doing it for the purpose of fertility as well as the Greeks. The names the modern Jews are using for these dances are directly derived from the same names of "those" dances. Just like Easter is derived from the names of pagan godesses in Christindom. 

 

It's not just intent here, but the dances they are doing 'are' the "Hora" ( Horae ) and "Dabke" (these names are taken from modern Jewish sources, which looked into have origins elsewhere as explained above). These are 'not' Jewish dances nor biblical. These specific routines they are doing are the exact pagan dances of the Canaanites, which should not be surprising.

 

Now I dance like they are in the first video, but it's not those dances in specific or routines, nor as a form of worship, but just moves which look the same taken from other dances and contexts. But the actual "context" of the dance these Jews are doing is a pagan one as indicated, not just because they are dancing in a circle (which is not wrong in it's self), but there "these specific routines" have come from, and still retaining their orginal pagan names. I'd say the only dance they do which could be considered not a pagan routine is the Yemminite step. The circle dances of the Hebrews from the Bible are long gone, they would not have used names taken from other dances that were pagan like the modern Jews do. The ancient Israelite's circle dances would not have been the Hora or Dabke.

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by EccentricM