Save the date for the 35th Annual Shorashim - Roots of Israeli Folk Dance Nostalgia Labor Day Weekend! September 5 - 7, 2026

Shorashim 2026

35th Annual

Roots of Israeli Folk Dancing

Nostalgia Labor Day Weekend

Presented in-person & virtually via zoom

Saturday Sept 5th - Monday Sept 7th, 2026

Founded and Directed by Haim Kaufman

"TEIMANIADA"

A CELEBRATION OF YEMENITE DANCE & CULTURE

with guest choreographer

ISRAEL YAKOVEE

Among his best loved classic Yemenite dances are:

Abba Shimon, Achot Lanu K'tana, Agadelcha, Shavnu and Shoofni

Israel Yakovee grew up in the Yemenite Jewish neighborhood of Sha'arayim in Rehovot, Israel, where his heritage — its music, customs, and dance — shaped him from childhood. After serving in the Nahal Brigade during the Six-Day War, he trained as a folk dance instructor, performed professionally in Tel Aviv, and eventually moved to the U.S., where he earned a degree in Physical Education and built thriving Israeli folk dance programs on both coasts. He has created roughly 100 folk dances, some 80% rooted in Yemenite music and tradition, and has taught at workshops and festivals across Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South America, Europe, Australia, and beyond. Today he lives in Boston, still choreographing and teaching — most recently collaborating on Eid Al Yaman and Blues Teimani. [Read the full Rokdim Nirkoda article here.]

Special Remembrance Tribute to

MARGALIT OVED z"l

Internationally famous Yemenite dancer, choreographer, singer, percussionist, composer and actress - principal dancer and artistic director of the Inbal Dance Theater of Israel - choreographer of Harishut and Im Hashachar.

Margalit Oved — dancer, choreographer, singer, and actress — was born around 1934 in Aden, Yemen, where she first danced barefoot as a child before her family's journey to Israel. In her teens she became a founding member of Sarah Levi-Tanai's Inbal Dance Company in Tel Aviv, eventually rising to principal dancer and choreographing works drawn from the rhythms of Yemen, Arabia, Africa, India, and Spain. In 1967 she settled in Los Angeles, taught at UCLA, and built a celebrated solo repertoire of pieces rooted in biblical and autobiographical themes — earning three NEA choreography awards and Hadassah's Myrtle Wreath Award. She later returned to Israel to revive the Inbal Dance Company and became the musical director and principal singer for her son Barak Marshall's internationally acclaimed productions. [Read the full Jewsih Woman's Archive article here.]

Featuring Master Teachers

Ruth Goodman

Ruth Goodman is director of the Israeli Dance Institute, the annual Israel Folk Dance Festival and the Jewish/Israeli dance division of 92Y in New York. She is founder and director of the Parparim Ensemble of Israeli Dance and has directed a variety of dance programs and conducted dance workshops for teachers. As in past years, Ruth brings her many talents to Shorashim.

Danny Pollock

Danny Pollock is a well-known master teacher of Israeli folk dance in the New York region. Danny returns once again to teach his popular classic repertoire dance workshops at Shorashim, which have become an established tradition that we look forward to with great anticipation. “Dancing Danny” brings a lot of fun and joy to workshops as well as nightly parties.

Schedule of Events

Dance Parties: Saturday & Sunday Nights

Workshops: Sunday & Monday Afternoons

Details to Follow...

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