In this Bulletin:-
1. ZOOZ WORKSHOP
REPORT
2. ZOOZ 5TH
BIRTHDAY PARTY REPORT
3. ZOOZ NEW
BEGINNERS' COURSES
4. ZOOZ DOES
ZORBA
5. ZOOZ PINK
RIBBON BREAKFAST
6. ZOOZ BITS 'n'
PIECES
7. ZOOZ HALL
CHANGE
8. ZOOZ
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
9. RIKUD OZ
1. ZOOZ WORKSHOP
REPORT
Between April 22nd to April 29th, ZOOZ proudly presented several workshops
with 3 outstanding, world-renowned & very talented choreographers:- Moshe
Eskayo, Avi Levy, & Eran Bitton. This was the first time ever, that any
Israeli dancing group in Melbourne had brought out more than 2 choreographers at
the one time.My ambition was to give not only my dancers, but all Melbourne
& interstate dancers an opportunity to experience what I have had the good
fortune & pleasure of enjoying at the many overseas dance camps I have
attended over the past few years :- New York (Hora Keff) x 2, & Shorashim x1;
London (Machol Europa) x 2; Sao Paulo (Brazilula); L.A.(Camp Yona); Chicago
(Chagigah-Hilulim); & Miami (Machol Miami) x 3).
Supporting 3 choreographers for one week, plus their airfares
& appearance fees, is a very expensive exercise, but nevertheless, the costs
of the workshops were purposely kept to a minimum, to enable as many Melbourne
dancers as possible to attend & enjoy. It was never intended to be a
money-making venture! It was my gift to all the Melbourne dancers.
Each of our esteemed choreographers taught some great dances,
many of which we are still thoroughly enjoying today. The quality of the dances
taught over all, was excellent. The number of dancers that
attended the 2 Saturday workshops, was outstanding - 130 people! I am pretty
sure that this is the largest number of dancers that had ever attended a
Melbourne workshop. It was absolutely fantastic to have in attendance several
dancers from Sydney, from Perth, and even a couple of dancers from New
Zealand. And of course, many teachers, dancers & friends from the other 3
Melbourne groups. But most pleasing of all, was the excellent number of our own
ZOOZ dancers who came along to
support us in many of the sessions. It was a first time workshop experience for
many of them, and we were so proud of them. They acquitted themselves incredibly
well. It was sometimes hard to pick the novice during the teaching of the
new dances. WELL DONE ZOOZ'ies!!!!
The atmosphere at all the workshops, was exciting, friendly and very vibrant.
There was always a buzz! It was easy to see that everyone enjoyed themselves
thoroughly and I received many follow up emails not only from our own dancers,
but from experienced dancers from other groups, thanking us for the "best
workshop, in every respect, that they had every attended".
Moshe Eskayo is a legend in the Israeli dance world. In his
first ever visit to Australia, he endeared himself to the workshop dancers with
his warm, engaging personality & sense of fun. Advanced dancers at the
workshop relished the fact that their hero (we love his
debkas!) was right there dancing with them. He was also a wonderful &
considerate house-guest.
Eran (also his first time in Australia) was a last minute
replacement for Eileen Weinstock, Moshe's dance partner & acquitted himself
very well. Eran was also very accessible and friendly to all, and a great
dancer. He taught clearly and well.
Avi Levy's new dances, together with his clear teaching &
excellent dance style, were very much enjoyed by all.
Our fantastic ZOOZ
staff (Sam, Claude, Jack & Suzy, Cindy) worked tirelessly & selflessly,
behind the scenes throughout the week long event to ensure that everything went
smoothly! Thanks guys! Great team effort once again......high five!
But there are so many other people to thank who helped our
ZOOZ staff - I don't know where to
begin! They helped to organise the catering, to serve lunch on Saturday, to
decorate the hall, to set-up and clean up after each of the events we held,
(which included our very well attended events - the Kabbalat Shabbat dinner on
Friday night and our fantastic fully-catered BBQ on Saturday night.
A very big thank you to Jack for videoing the teaching of the
dances at the workshops & to Henry G for producing a very professional dvd
& cd.
Big thanks also to Annette L, Judy J, Colette, Miriam A, Caryn
& Sam, Debbie, Rochelle, Liz, Patricia, Cindy, Tom, Ann B, Grace, Laura
& Helen G (the latter 2 in particular, did a magnificent job helping us out
in nearly every department above and beyond the call of duty!!) And special
thanks to Rosa and to the 2 New Zealand girls, Tania & Jenny who did so much
to help behind the scenes. And to Moshe Eskayo who helped us to wash the floor
one night!! I hope I did not leave anyone out.....my sincerest apologies if I
have!!
We were thrilled that so many people went to the effort of
dressing up in fancy-dress for our "Alice in ZOOZland" theme for the Saturday night event. Our
3 visiting choreographers all looked fabulous dressed up in Mad Hatter costumes
- Johnny Depp, eat your heart out!
A highlight of the week were the 2 style & technique
workshops conducted by both Moshe & Avi individually on 2 different nights.
These types of workshops had never been held in Melbourne before. It was just a
pity that we could not find more time to do more of them, as everyone who
attended both of these workshops can attest that they really gained something
from them & were very inspired by the experience.
2. ZOOZ'S 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY REPORT
On Thursday evening, September 2nd, we celebrated our 5th
Birthday. We had a great number of our own dancers in attendance, and a few of
our good friends who came along to support. It was a fantastic night - one of
the best parties we have ever had, even though the numbers were down on our
usual party nights. (only 70 people). I really must confiscate passports in the
future, to make sure our dancers don't miss out on our fun events! 
This year, to mark this special event, I invited my friend and
mentor, Alida Segal, to perform for us. The list of Alida's credentials as a
performing artist, dance teacher and choreographer, are longer than my arm. It
was a great honour for her to agree to perform a beautiful Uzbek folk dance, and
a privilege for all of us to watch her magnificent technique & dance style.
Following Alida's beautiful performance, everyone was taken by
surprise by the sudden, very loud entrance of the bombastic "Esther Goldenbum"
(that's how she spells it!) alias Savannah Borowitz, who gave us such a
wonderful comedic routine that had us all rolling with fits of laughter.
Hilarious!
Thanks to all of you who came along to help us celebrate this
milestone, and we hope to celebrate many, many more with you. Thanks so much
also to all of you who sent such lovely emails expressing how much you enjoyed
the evening.
3. ZOOZ
NEW BEGINNERS COURSES
GREAT NEWS!! NEW BEGINNERS COURSES ARE TO COMMENCE
SHORTLY!!
By public demand, we are starting 2 NEW
BEGINNERS COURSES (LEVEL 1) in October. Those of you who have been
through our ZOOZ beginners' program,
will know that in the past we have always offered a very structured 8 week
introductory course. At the completion of this course, most new
beginners are able to satisfactorily stay on longer & longer, to participate
in higher level classes, and before too long, they are able to
satisfactorily dance alongside their friends who introduced them in the first
place. ZOOZ is proud to maintain
that we have always offered the most complete, structured & balanced course
for beginners. We are leading the way in Melbourne!! The ZOOZ class teachers (Richelle, Belinda &
Cindy) are extremely knowledgeable, patient & caring. Sadly, Marsha resigned
from her teaching duties a few months ago because she was travelling &
staying interstate for long periods of time. As I said at our birthday party, we
will miss her as a member of our staff.
However, we are very proud & happy to welcome 2 of our
enthusiastic students, Annette Lieberthal & Laura Gilhome to our teaching
staff, as assistant teachers. Both attend several ZOOZ beginners classes per week to assist
Richelle, and have commenced teacher-training, They will work alongside the
class teachers to provide the most comprehensive Beginners' course available in
Melbourne.
ZOOZ NEW
BEGINNERS CLASSES:-
MIXED CLASS -
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS - commencing
OCTOBER 2nd from 1.00pm- 2.00 pm
(Registrations for the course will commence at 12.45 pm)
Following on from this class will be the Low-intermediate to
Advanced class from 2.00 pm - 4.30 pm.
WOMEN ONLY
TUESDAY MORNINGS commencing OCTOBER
5th from 9.30 am - 10.30 am (Registrations for the
course will commence from 9.15 am)
Following on from this class will be the Intermediate to
Advanced class from 10.30 am - 12.30 pm
BOTH OF THESE CLASSES WILL BE HELD
AT THE SCOUT HALL, 2 MILLER ST. ELSTERNWICK.( just off Hotham St)
ZOOZ teachers
love to teach NEW beginners and we take great pride in
seeing them attain the highest possible skills of Israeli dancing, thereby
enabling them to have years and years of great fun and fitness! We have a great
success rate with dancers trained at ZOOZ, who
come regularly to classes - they advance very, very quickly to higher
levels.
We have always found
that word of mouth is the
BEST form of advertising!
Please make a note of the dates of
commencement and tell your friends who are interested in starting Israeli
dancing classes, or feel free to forward on this email. Before they commit to
any other courses or classes, tell them to give us a try. They will thank you
for it!
4. ZOOZ
DOES ZORBA!
GREEK NIGHT!
Saturday October 9th. We have made a booking for 50 people at Ellinis Greek Tavern, 66 Portman St Oakleigh (7.30
pm) Only $40 per head for a 10 course banquet (BYO drinks)
It will be a fun night of Greek & Israeli/Greek dancing!! Fish or vegetarian
options are available. We already have 46 people who have registered!! So
please let either Richelle or Laura know as soon as possible if you would like
to join us, or if you require any further details. A $5 per person deposit is
required.
PLEASE NOTE: We have already reached 50 people as at 15th Sept. We might have to look into booking another table if we have any more interested peopl. Please let us know asap if you are still considering it.
5. ZOOZ PINK RIBBON BREAKFAST
Every year, since ZOOZ
commenced, I am proud to say that we have raised considerable sums of
money for various charities... all very worthy causes......Magen David Adom,
Friends of Beit Helochem, (Disabled Israeli War Veterans), Kibbutz Kishorit, The
Victorian Bush Fire Appeal, The Haiti Appeal, and each and every year, the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last year we proudly raised over $900 at our
Pink Ribbon Breakfast. This year our breakfast/brunch & dancing sessions
which will be held on Tuesday
morning, October 26th from 10.30 am
at the Scout Hall, 2 Miller St. Elsternwick.
The dance session will be extended so that we finish at 1 pm
later on this day.
We will hold our new beginners class at the
usual time from 9.30 am - 10.30 am. We are hoping to raise $1000 this year!
Please help us to reach our target. Come along and support -
everyone welcome! Donations can safely be made online. Invitations to the breakfast will be sent out shortly, and information on how to donate online. Keep this
morning free - open to all levels - dancers/non-dancers - everyone most
welcome!
6. ZOOZ BITS 'n'
PIECES
At this year's Yom Ha'atzmaut Concert held in April, at the
Hamer Hall, St Kilda Rd. we had several ZOOZ dancers doing us proud in performing on
stage. Well done Cindy, Colette, Annette, Patricia, Lana,
Claude & Tom. Thanks for your dedication and coming along to
rehearsals.
We were thrilled to be invited to perform and teach at an
Interfaith event held at Temple Beth Israel in May, with approx 200 people in
attendance. Everyone commented on how enjoyable our performance was, and nearly
everyone in the audience enthusiastically participated in learning a couple of
dances & thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Thank you to Caryn & Sam G, Judy J,
Tom, Colette, Jack, Annette, Sam, Colette & Patricia.
Many of our dancers are more than happy to volunteer to
perform at various Aged People's Homes, such as The Armitage & Emmy Monash,
& they have provided the residents with great enjoyment. Thank you so much
to the following ZOOZ dancers who
recently gave their time to participate:- Grace, Colette, Sam, Cindy, Liz, Tom,
Jack, Suzy, Claude, Deborah, Lana, Haya, Miriam, Caryn, Annette, Rochelle B. It
was very much appreciated.
7. ZOOZ HALL
CHANGE - Saturday afternoon class
Please note - from September 25th, the Saturday
afternoon class (REVISION FOR ALL LEVELS) will no longer be held at Sacre Coeur
College. It will be held at the Scout Hall in Elsternwick.
(just off Hotham St) Sprung wooden floor, close to public
transport.
NB. There will be no class on Saturday September 18th, of
course (Yom Kippur)
From October 2nd we will commence at 1.00 pm with NEW beginners, followed by beginners-low-intermediate, followed by intermediate/advanced. Class finishes at 4.30 pm.
8. ZOOZ FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Other events to diarise:-
2nd December - CHANUKAH PARTY
16th December - BREAK UP PARTY
More details at a later date! Make sure you don't miss our fun
parties!
9. RIKUD OZ
You are all no doubt aware that in March 2011
there is going to be a combined camp with all 4 Melbourne groups co-operating to
bring out 4 excellent choreographers:- Shlomo Maman, Dudu Barzilay, Yaron Carmel
& Ohad Atia. Some of you would know that having a combined camp has been a
dream of mine since 1997. In that year, (way before ZOOZ was born), I called a meeting with the
leaders of the 3 Melbourne Israeli dancing groups to discuss the possibility of
having a combined camp in Melbourne in the year 2000 (the year of the Sydney
Olympics) I was terribly disappointed at the outcome of the discussion. I was
told to forget about it - it would never happen in my lifetime!! Nevertheless, I
never did give up on the idea and plugged away whenever possible! As I said earlier, my driving force was that I had always
wanted the Australian dancers to experience the excitement and pleasures of
having several choreographers working together at a camp in Melbourne. (Thanks to
Esther from Machol who this time, initiated the discussions)
Our own very successful ZOOZ workshop in April with 3 choreographers
certainly showed the dancers and dance leaders just how much fun it can be to
have a big crowd with dancers from all the groups mixing together, although,
believe me, it will be much more fun at a camp!!
No-one could be happier than
me that this combined camp is actually going to happen - dreams do come true! Our ZOOZ website has some information on our home
page, & more details about Rikud OZ will be released shortly. Make sure you put the
date in your diary....you won't want to miss this outstanding event - creating
history in Melbourne!
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Thanks for reading thus far.....I know this bulletin is
terribly long - forgive me, it is very long overdue, so I had lots to
write!!
WISHING ALL OF YOU & YOUR
FAMILIES, A HEALTHY, HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
L'shana Tovah & Well over the
Fast!
Looking forward to another fantastic year of dancing ahead,
full of fun & fitness.
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Happy ZOOZ'ing
With love
Richelle
on behalf of the ZOOZ Staff
- Belinda, Jack & Suzy, Cindy & Claude, and trainee
teachers, Annette & Laura.
