(Hai Pa) – The Haifa Municipality has decided to cut back on the number of dances: instead of weekly dances in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, the dances will be held alternately, one week in Haifa and one week in Kiryat Haim. The decision has sparked disappointment and frustration among the dancers, who claim that this is a serious blow to the city's community fabric and cultural activity.
For 30 years, dances have been held every Saturday at Dado Beach in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, attracting dance enthusiasts from all over the region. However, now, due to cuts in the municipality's budget, the traditional dances will no longer be held every week, but once every two weeks at each location.
For the regular dancers, the dances are a place of refuge, a cultural experience and a community space, and they speak of a sense of loss. "The Shabbat dances are our home. They allow us to dance, have fun, foster social connections and preserve the culture in the city. This decision feels like the rug has been pulled out from under our feet," says one of the dancers. According to them, the damage is not only to routine but also to the ability to maintain mental and physical health, especially during difficult times.
"We call on the Haifa Municipality to reconsider the decision. Cut the decorations, not our souls!" say the dancers. They ask the general public, dancers and supporters, to stand together against the cuts and vote with their feet – simply not to attend the dances partially, to emphasize the importance of the activity for them and for the entire city."
Efrat Shimoni Sommer, says: "I have been dancing at Dado Beach in Haifa for 28 years. 28 years of crazy energy, week after week – even during pregnancy, with babies in a carrier, with pain, and in any situation. This dancing is for me a space of sanity, air to breathe, a place that allows me (and I'm sure many others too) to release tension and strengthen the soul.
Recently, something has changed. Since the beginning of the war, I have felt that our dances are being played with. Decision-makers, who sit in offices with four walls, have arbitrarily decided to cut back on our dances. They may not understand, but for us – these dances are not just entertainment; they are mental therapy. In the crazy year and three months we have been through, they are among the only things that lift our spirits.
How dare you touch the dances that are ironclad? A tradition of over 30 years! Now the budget has suddenly run out? It's interesting that money is actually found for Hanukkah decorations. And what about safety? The unification of the dances of Haifa and the Krayot creates large events that require more security personnel, police, and MDA. This requires resources - resources that they chose to cut back on.
"I call on decision-makers: Cut the decorations, not our souls! And to the dancers – let's not agree to this trolling. If these dances disappear, we will all lose. Vote with your feet, and stand up for what is truly important."
Haifa Municipality gave a response to Haifa:
The Haifa Municipality continues to expand leisure activities in the city and adapt them to the broad needs that arise among all populations in the city. Beach dances will continue to take place free of charge for city residents.
Rami Shalom,
You wrote that the municipality is trying to save one dance a month.
By my calculations, to this day, there have been eight dances in Haifa and the Kiryats together every month.
The municipality wants to save money, one dance per week = four dances per month.
However, I very much agree with you about the importance of participating in dances in everything related to body and limb movement.
My wife and I are very active in sports.
In folk dancing, we move body parts that we don't move in other sports.
Folk dancing is a complete health for the body and mind.
The municipality should encourage residents to do sports..dancing with this is a type of sport……why stop positive sports……the residents enjoy meeting, families come for fun…this is a serious blow to the dancers….the profit of saving dancing a month is very small financially compared to the disappointment of the residents
Good morning to Israel Buchchevsky.
Israeli folk dances are loved by hundreds of thousands of dancers in Israel and around the world. I understand that this combination of music and dance does not please you, but it is not right to see the dancers as idiots. There are opera lovers and some are not. There are ballet lovers and some are not. There are ballroom, salsa, etc. lovers and some are not. Any dance, in any style that is presented for our enjoyment, you can define it as if if it were performed in silence, it would seem idiotic. Try to think that if so many people around the world are eager for Israeli folk dances, it is probably not idiotic.
Regarding families that have been destroyed. Do you think families are destroyed only because of folk dancing or are there other difficulties in relationships?
To the writer S.
There is no connection between the dancers' request/demand to return the frequency of dancing to twice a week and the demonstrations for a sane state.
I know thousands of dancers.
I see most of them at the demonstrations as well. Not everyone's opinions on what a sane country is are always the same, but it's not right to link the two issues.
Wishing everyone a good Shabbat Shalom.
Try watching a dance video on mute and you'll see dozens of idiots in ridiculous movements, not to mention how many families have been destroyed because of this stupidity... Keep dancing like idiots.
All the whiners of all kinds don't bother to take to the streets and demonstrate for a sane country. They're more interested in going dancing on Saturday night. Shame on you.
80% of dancers don't do it by chance at all.
Please do not harm the dance experiences in Haifa.
I am of course in favor of restoring the situation to its original state, but for the sake of good order. Good night and blessings to everyone.
Rami Shalom,
I am of course in favor of restoring the situation to its original state, but for the sake of good order.
The cost of the logistics required to hold a public event is much more than 4 security guards and a dancer.
Investments in security, both visible and invisible, are high.
There is also always an ambulance and emergency team available.
There are additional expenses that are not the place to mention here.
Shabbat Shalom
My wife and I have been dancing for about 40 years.
I read the readers' comments.
An important question may have been omitted.
The question of expectations.
To this day, when the dances were held in both places, the crowd at both dance locations was very high.
All dancers are well aware of the fact that due to the crowding, they receive blows from other dancers and give others blows. This is especially true during rounds, and folk dances contain countless rounds.
The questions:
1. Has the question of the number of dancers allowed from a safety perspective been examined?
2. Even if the number of dancers is "correct" in terms of regulations, is it clear to the decision-makers and to what extent is it clear to them that the enjoyment of the dancers is greatly impaired by such overcrowding?
3. The municipality's response to the claim raised against the unification of the two dances into one is unclear. The municipality's response, intentionally, does not respond to the claim but rather expresses a kind of general statement that the dances will continue and without payment.
A disparaging and angry response.
Shabbat Shalom.
I don't participate in the dancing, but looking from the sidelines I am surprised and shocked.
Such a large audience of participants enjoying themselves,
I really don't understand the decision.
We all pay property taxes, not a small amount at all!
My heart goes out to the dancers and I support you with all my heart and hope that the municipality will reconsider its decision.
For popular sports with many participants, including dancing—all possible investments.
For representative sports, including soccer and others—zero investments, because these are private businesses after all.
After the elections, I believed that Diona Yahav would bring back the Haifa representative dance troupe, the premiere performances of the various dance troupes, but the situation only got worse. Shabbat dancing is being cut, which is simply something he will not do.
As they say at protests: Shame, shame.
Just a month ago. The municipality invested millions on the holiday of lights, decorations, bouncers, an unprecedented amount of security…..and now they come to cut 4 security guards and a dancer…..that's not a fraction of what they spent in Wadi………
Just a month ago. The municipality invested millions on the holiday of lights, decorations, bouncers, an unprecedented amount of security…..and now they come to cut 4 security guards and a dancer…..that's not a fraction of what they spent in Wadi………
Even if it's 4 security guards 2 or 3