Boogie down east of Indian Hill to enjoy an entertaining and culturally enriching evening at the Masonic Lodge, where Israeli folk dance sessions are held Monday nights from 7pm to 10pm. Everyone is welcome, although it is recommended that beginners arrive early to learn some of the common steps used throughout the class. Organizer Yael Steinfeld leads the attendees through a night full of dance.

Steinfeld’s early life has influenced her dancing tremendously. Although an immensely talented dancer, she never trained to be a dance teacher in the traditional way. Her talent as a dancer sprouted early on in her life, for Steinfeld was born on a kibbutz, a collective community in Israel that is traditionally based on agriculture. There, Israeli folk dance was a part of her everyday life. At a kibbutz, people incorporate old Israeli dances and songs based on agriculture into their celebration of holidays and practice of religion.

“Living on a kibbutz is really awesome. Holidays are celebrated in what we believe to be the ancient way. It suddenly does not only have the religious meaning, it suddenly has the meaning before religion came when it was solely agriculture,” Steinfeld said.

Steinfeld brought her cultural background with her when she moved to Ohio in 1990. There, she passed time singing Israeli folk songs with her friends and eventually brought whole crowds to their feet when she taught Israeli folk dance at assemblies and gave talks at temples. Eventually, Steinfeld made her way to Claremont, where she has lived for the past ten years teaching at various establishments, specifically at the Masonic Lodge for the past two years. Steinfeld operates her class in a flexible manner, teaching her members specific steps from line and single dances while always fulfilling requests to demonstrate certain moves. She is inspired by her pure love of dance, which originated from her youth when Israeli folk dance was a principal part of her daily life. Steinfeld is often reminded of her childhood during these classes, as she plays music that describes the hardships that her people went through. She describes music as an essential part of her dance sessions, so she plays Israeli music relating to the Torah that often reflects peace and sadness. Steinfeld includes a lot of dances in her classes related to the Torah that she learned as a child on a kibbutz.

At the Israeli folk dance sessions held in the Masonic Lodge, one can socialize while expanding their cultural knowledge. One can be sure to learn plenty of authentic dance moves when attending the unique event.