For The Curious
Because I am overthinking every possible aspect of this class: playlist for dancing music! So far. I am going to need more than two songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-ssJNS-Pk Warm-up song: Galbi-- Ofra Haza (remix). This remix is kind of annoying, but it is two things the original is not: a. in strict 4/4 rhythm, which makes it easier to get people to follow along with what I'm doing, b. sounding like it was written this decade or so (the original is like the most 80s thing ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgr0syGkR9I). The text is a poem in Arabic written by the Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. Haza is also an iconic Jewish singer, but I think I am going to avoid talking about her, simply because I... just... don't really know how to broach the fact that she's dead of AIDS at a tragically young age to a class of 8th and 9th grade girls.
Cool-down song: Hinech Yafa-- The Idan Raichel Project. (Thanks, carrolyn!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVP4Q2bcaE Text is based on Song of Songs, and essentially is saying "you are totally beautiful. and awesome. and I love you." Given that the message of the class is that you are beautiful and awesome and also Jewish, I was like "yes, this, I need this for my class."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-ssJNS-Pk Warm-up song: Galbi-- Ofra Haza (remix). This remix is kind of annoying, but it is two things the original is not: a. in strict 4/4 rhythm, which makes it easier to get people to follow along with what I'm doing, b. sounding like it was written this decade or so (the original is like the most 80s thing ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgr0syGkR9I). The text is a poem in Arabic written by the Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. Haza is also an iconic Jewish singer, but I think I am going to avoid talking about her, simply because I... just... don't really know how to broach the fact that she's dead of AIDS at a tragically young age to a class of 8th and 9th grade girls.
Cool-down song: Hinech Yafa-- The Idan Raichel Project. (Thanks, carrolyn!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVP4Q2bcaE Text is based on Song of Songs, and essentially is saying "you are totally beautiful. and awesome. and I love you." Given that the message of the class is that you are beautiful and awesome and also Jewish, I was like "yes, this, I need this for my class."