Yaacov ( Yankele ) Levy, was born in Jerusalem to a traditional Yemenite family. He has been involved with education, specializing in working with disturbed children.
For about 9 years he directed a trade school for disturbed and retarded teenagers, in the Haifa area.
His more than 80 dances (see list below) were translated into English by Dina Bachar, Loui Tucker, Honey Goldfein, and into German by Horst Verke
In this exclusive interview, Daughter Of The Arts catches a glimpse of both the fervor of Israeli culture and the ethereal beauty of the Yemenite people that he brings to his dances.
DOTA: What was your first dance?
YL: Eten bamidbar
I have a story about this dance. I was preparing it for a show for disturbed children, for Tu Bishvat. We celebrate when there are new flowers on the trees before the spring comes. I was studying in Oranim Academic College. It’s a seminar for teaching teachers how to become teachers. Shalom Chermon was my teacher. He was a choreographer for a long time. I showed him my dance, and he said, “Teach it here.” They were very happy with the dance. After a month and a half, I was teaching it in his group and he came over looking very solemn and very sad and said, “I am very sorry but Rifka Shturman wrote a dance, to the same melody and she taught it in Tel Aviv. And people were very upset.” The people there said to her, “You took it from Yankele Levy. He has only one dance. And you have so many dances.” She said, “No, I got the music from the composer.” The teachers, all the organizers of the courses, were angry, Gurit Kadman was angy with Rifka Shturman that she did this. Anywhere I taught, she came a few weeks later and taught her dance. So there was a competition.
In 1957 I wrote (choreograph) this dance. When I was in the United States in 1968 I came to Camp Ramah. I was a dance counselor. I taught Eten Bamidbar.
Later I came with other dances. Shalom Chermon was the first one who brought me to the public. Later we became friends Rifka and I.
DOTA: When you taught the children at the school, did you teach them dancing?
YL: At school, as a teacher, I danced a lot with my pupils. It was kind of dance therapy. But when I became the principal, I preferred to have other teachers do it, because I was very busy.
DOTA: Tell us about some of your dances to songs sung by Ofra Haza?
YL: I have a couple dance Hatishma Koli that Ofra Haza sings (composer Yosef Mustaki) from 1977 , I taught it in the United States. I have a circle dance named Zemer Nugeh with the same text. When I made Rachamim (couple), Ofra Haza was singing. I have a dance Chazor Ahuvi. Ofra Haza touched my mind and my emotions in these songs.
DOTA: What inspires you to create a dance?
YL: Yardena Cohen was my teacher. She taught us to create what was in our hearts. I like to do it like a story, like Shecharchoret.
DOTA: How do you select music?
YL: The system was, you have the music, for one year, two years, one month, any time. Now, it’s otherwise. They (choreographers) catch the music from the singer immediately, writing it under their name, they don’t have the choreography. The dance, either good or not good. No time to breathe. Any music I hear on the radio, I want to write a dance, it was already danced by others. There are so many choreographers.
We did it as a hobby, all my life. It was not because I needed to do it to eat. I was teaching and for 9 years I was the director of a school for children
DOTA: Which of your dances is your favorite?
YL: My favorite dance is Shecharchoret. It reflects the relationship between couples from the time they meet, till they are married. It is a special song; I love it. I heard it in my youth, when I was the only Yemenite among the Sephardic people in my neighborhood Yamin Moshe, in Jerusalem.
DOTA: Tell us about the beautiful circle dance Eretz, Eretz (1974) that you and Shlomo Bachar choreographed?
YL: Eretz Eretz was my song. The part that talks about, “In spite of the difficulties we don’t leave our land,” touched my heart.
When Shlomo Bachar visited me in 1974, he told me that he also intended to create a dance to this song. So we decided that we each shall create a dance; the best will be published. Both were good. Then we decided to take pieces from each and put the one dance on both our names.
DOTA: What activities are you involved in now?
YL: I get my pension from the government. I am 73. I am very happy in my life. I was in Japan last month and taught my dances in Japan. I am going to be in New York in September.
DOTA: What message would you give to dancers about enjoying Israeli folk dancing?
YL: Today I tell the dancers – please keep the roots.
While you run forward with the new dances, remember us because we used our talent, for creating new Israeli culture, not for a living only. Don’t throw out our pure creation to the garbage.
Surrounding Yankele Levy (center) Choreographers: Moshe Telem (Background) Victor Gabay (holding microphone) Se’adia Amishai (right)
Yankele Levy will teach in New York City, Sept. 2-5, 2005 at the 14 th Annual Shorashim, Roots of Israeli Folk Dance weekend. It includes 4 nights of marathons and 3 days of workshops. For more information, call 917-207-0093; rdr@rikud.net; www.rikud.net (This information provided by H. Kaufman)
LIST OF DANCES CHOREOGRAPHED BY YANKELE LEVY
(list provided by Mr. Levy)
NAME YEAR CHOREOGRAPHED
1. AD HAPA’AM HABA’AH 1989
2. AD SHEYAFUACH YOM 1962
3. AHAVAT ZION 1981
4. AHUVI CHAZOR (Chazor Ahuvi) 1980
5. AL SADEH VAYA’AR 1984
6. AL TEVATRY 1985
7. ANI VE’AT BAYA’AR 1995
8. ASHRECHEM ISRAEL 1978
9. AT, ANI V’HARUACH 1977
10. ATZEH HAZAFZAFOT 1970
11. BARCHA LA’KIBUTZ 1979
12. BAT TEIMAN 1970
13. BEBOR ATIK YOMIN 1980
14. BEN PRAT V’CHIDEKEL 1970
15. BEKEREM TEIMAN 1979
16. BIFA’AT HAKFAR 1969
17. BOI NA’ARA 1978
18. BOU V’NASHIR 1988
19. CHALOM NIFLA 1983
20 CHAVATZELET SHARONIM 1981
21. CHOF SHAKET 1977
22. DEBKA CHAG 1965
23. DEBKA HABANIM 1976
24. DEBKA HABOTZRIM 1963
25. DEBKA KAFRIT 1962
26 DEBKA L’ADAMA 1959
27. EL HAGAN 1976
28. ERETZ, ERETZ 1974
29. ERETZ ISRAEL YAFFA 1980
30. EREV RAD AL KFAR 1975
31. ETEN BAMIDBAR 1957
32. GEULIM 1970
33. HABAKASHOT 1972
34. HACH BASELA 1974
35. HACHATUNAH 1971
36. HACHINANIT 1970
37. HADUDAIEM 1966
38. HAJEVERET. 1984
39. HAKOL PATUACH 1994
40. HALELOT BIK’NA’AN 1988
41. HAMECHAZRIM 1972
42. HAPARPAR 1973
43. HATISHMA KOLI 1977
44. HA TUSTUS 1971
45. HAYOSHEVET BAGANIM 1972
46. HEYI SHALOM 1988
47. HINACH YAFFA 1966
48. HORA 1979
49. HORA BIKA’A 1972
50. HORA CHADFRA 1972
51. IMI, IMI 1980
52. KAD EL KAD 1978
53. KIRYA YEFEFIYA 1978
54. KISME SHAUL 1982
55 KESHOSHANA 1960
56. KOL HANESHAMA 1981
57. KUNI LEMEL 1966
58. LAILA B’KAHIR 1983
59. LAMENAZEAH 1964
60. LO AHAVTI DAI 1977
61. MECHOL HA’AVIV 1975
62. MECHOL HAGAT 1969
63. MECHOL HALAHAT 1968
64. MECHOL HAPERACH 1975
65. MECHOL HASHABAT 1973
66. MISHOL HAPERE 1970
67. RACHAMIM 1985
68. ROSH KATAN 1986
69. RUACH AZUV 1988
70. SEIE YONA 1974
71 SAME’ACH AL HALEV 1988
72. SCANDAL 1981
73. SHABBAT RE’IEM 1982
74. SHECHARCHORET 1971
75. SHURU HABITU URU 1973
76. SHUVI HASHULAMIT 1982
77. SIMCHAT CHASSID 1967
78. STIRAT LECHI 1990
79. SUS VE’ROCHBO 1977
80. TZUR CHASSIDI 1980
81. TZUR MISHELO 1972
82. YELED HIZAHERA 1965
83. ZE MA SHEYESH 1995
84. ZEMER NUGEH 1977
Link: Yankele Levy dancing his circle dance Zemer Nugeh
http://homepage.mac.com/israeli_folk_dances/iMovieTheater302.html
Site of Les Posen
Words and transliteration to Zemer Nugeh
http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-zemernugeh.htm
Ofra Haza Zemer Nugeh “SHIREY MOLADET” CD
Link: Yankele Levy dancing Chazor Ahuvi (partner dance) Ofra Haza singing
http://homepage.mac.com/israeli_folk_dances/iMovieTheater248.html
Site of Les Posen
Link: Lyrics to Eretz, Eretz
