A Woman Dances for Life

My friend Karen threw herself a sixtieth birthday dance party. It was the perfect celebration, because this woman was born to dance. She radiates so much joy as she moves elegantly and exuberantly that it’s contagious. Although I felt tired and sluggish when I left for the party, I danced for nearly two hours and returned home so pumped that I couldn’t fall asleep until after 2 a.m. To the beats of Gad Elbaz, Shwekey, Simcha Leiner, and Ishay Ribo, we boogied, bopped, and grooved, taking occasional breaks for elegant snacks and socializing.     

Classically trained in ballet with the Royal Academy of London, Karen is also certified by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance for jazz, tap, folk, and ballroom dance. Before she and her husband, Moshe, chose to live a Torah observant, Shomer Shabbat life nearly thirty years ago, Karen was immersed in the world of secular dance. But after a stint performing with a ballet and jazz dance company, she called it quits.  

“I wanted to ‘make it’ as a dancer, but I was done with the intense competitiveness of the auditions and the backstabbing atmosphere in the industry,” she recalls. “And I hated the insecurities of wondering was I tall enough? Thin enough? Did I have the ‘right’ look?”

As a religious Jew, Karen accepted that she would no longer be able to dance publicly in front of women and men. And as a working mother of three children, her yearning to dance was suppressed. The idea of teaching female-only dance and exercise classes in the Jewish community held little appeal. 

“I couldn’t imagine that those experiences could offer anywhere near the satisfaction and joy that I had had previously on stage. In retrospect, I hadn’t thought outside the box to see how I could use my God-given talent and love of dance within this lifestyle.”

One day, as she began a women’s dance-exercise class, she began to cry. “My neshama (soul) was crying out at how I had neglected my love of dance, but it was also a cry of joy to reconnect.”

For ten long years Karen did not perform or teach dance. Then one day, as she began a women’s dance-exercise class, she began to cry. “My neshama (soul) was crying out at how I had neglected my love of dance, but it was also a cry of joy to reconnect.”

Too often, we give up some of the things we love to do, things that nourish us, body and soul. Maybe they seem inconsistent with our evolved value systems. Maybe we no longer have time. But as Karen discovered, suppressing our inherent creative potential and power has a cost. 

Years ago, when Israel was under constant Intifada attacks and I was struggling with a prolonged and emotionally draining situation, I questioned whether I should keep writing humor columns. My writing was cathartic and energizing, yet in the midst of tragedy and anxiety, I wondered: was it wrong? 

My rabbi set me straight. “You were meant to write and you need to write. And we need to laugh, despite everything.” What a relief.   

Since her life-changing moment in class, Karen has been teaching ballet, tap, dance-exercise, and Israeli folk dance, at day schools and in studios. She has also choreographed dance productions for high schools, summer camps, and at women’s retreats. She teaches several classes per week for women and girls, combining movement, prayer, and Jewish music. She notes that more artists today are creating “danceable music with a modern sound and beat,” including female artists (who record and perform exclusively for women), such as Bracha Jaffe, Devorah Schwartz, Merav Brenner, and Jezliah.  

“The Lubavitcher Rebbe once advised an elderly woman dealing with depression to attend as many simchas as possible and to dance away her depression, anxiety, and apathy,” she said at her party. “He knew the power of dance to lift the soul. When I dance, all my troubles disappear and my real self comes through. I feel I am connecting to Hashem. Dancing to Jewish music can enhance our davening, saying Tehillim, and bring more joy to our simchas. I’m grateful that I found my purpose in sharing my knowledge and love of dance with Jewish women and girls of all ages.”

To inquire about Karen’s teaching schedule and availability, email karendance18@gmail.com

Judy Gruen’s books include “The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith.”