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May 23, 2008
Dance takes the Chai road
Winnipeg-based troupe visits Vancouver as part of a four-city tour.
REBECA KUROPATWA
The Chai Folk Ensemble is putting together the best of their material from over the last 40 years, and taking it to several cities next month – including Vancouver.
The group's Independence Day tour is in honor of Israel's 60th birthday and, according to Reeva Nepon, administrative director of Chai, "it's one of the biggest tours Chai has ever done."
Winnipeg's Chai Folk Ensemble, which was founded by the late Sarah Sommer in 1964, is widely acclaimed as North America's oldest and largest Israeli folk dance ensemble. There are more than 40 dancers, singers and musicians in Chai, and it is the only Israeli folk ensemble in North America to perform exclusively to live musical accompaniment.
"The show will be a celebration of immigration to Israel," said Tracy Kasner-Greaves, Chai's artistic director. "So, we'll have diverse musical styles from Kurdistan, Yemen and Morocco. There will also be Yiddish, klezmer and traditional Israeli music. It's going to be a real overview of what we do best – pieces put together, showing what Israel is today."
A new component, with photos and moving video, will serve as the act's set design. Five singers, 12 musicians and 16 dancers will be performing on the tour, which will start in Montreal on June 12, and continue to Toronto, Detroit and Vancouver.
Zach Schnitzer has been a dancer in Chai for nearly five years, having joined the troupe when he was 17. He said that, when he went on a group trip to Europe with his friends, a friend saw him dance in a club and suggested he join Chai. "She was a Chai dancer, and she was pretty, so I said yes," said Schnitzer.
Leading up to a show, Schnitzer said they train as often as every night of the week. He said Chai "has a fantastic network of people. All of my best friends are in Chai. Training and working together, we really come together as a group."
Schnitzer added, "It's great to celebrate Israel's 60th and it's a great honor to represent little old Winnipeg. This is one of the things I can really brag about when it comes to the city's rich culture."
Schnitzer said that any difficulty he has experienced, he has been able to work his way through it by being part of Chai. "It's a place where you can channel any negativity into something meaningful, beautiful and important," he said. "If more people were involved in things like Chai, the world would be a much better place."
Chai will perform in Vancouver on June 19, at the River Rock Casino Theatre. This will be the second Chai performance commissioned by the Louis Brier Home and Hospital, with a previous one in 2006. For the Louis Brier event, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver's Or Chadash Youth Israeli Folk Dance Group will open for Chai.
Earl Barish is the volunteer executive consultant for Chai. He's the one who finds opportunities for the group to travel and perform in other cities. "This year's Vancouver show is totally different than the one in 2006," he said. "For this particular show, they've learned from choreographers from all over the world, like Morocco, Africa, South America, North America, Israel and Spain – and the costumes are incredible and colorful. It will have all the ingredients for a great evening, affecting all your senses."
For tickets and information, call 604-261-5550 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.
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