If we bring up the name Tuvia Tishler in any forum, the term “rikudei am” – “folk dance” will automatically pop up. These two entities – Tuvia and dance – are one. The man totally embodies everything in the field of dance in all its many facets. This is true for folk dance, the professional world – embracing stage performances, jazz, dance troupes, musical theater, tap, choreographies, social dance creations (recreational dances, classes, etc.), festivals, instruction, everything.

It can be said that Tuvia’s entire occupation, throughout all his years, has been dance and only dance (almost exclusively). To this occupation he has dedicated and continues to dedicate his entire being, his time, his talents, his thoughts, his social life, and his family. Yes, his entire being.

There are few others in Israel in the field of dance who haven’t also turned to other occupations in addition to their dance activities — whether due to personal inclinations, or mainly for livelihood and other reasons. This stands in stark contrast to Tuvia, for whom, as mentioned, it’s been dance and folk dance his whole life, as will be told in this article.

Tuvia Tishler (80) currently lives in Tel Aviv, he is married to Ofira, he is the father of Assaf and Yonatan (named after Yonatan Karmon z”l), and grandfather to four grandchildren.

He was born in 1945 to Hannah (Hanna) and Ze’ev (Zew) Tishler, who were booksellers by profession. At the start of World War II, each of his parents fled separately to Russia. There in that exile they met each other and created a family. “They also created me,” Tuvia recounts. After the war, the parents with their infant son returned to Wroclaw (Breslau) in Poland to continue their lives as before.

Tuvia tells his story:

Until the fifth grade, I grew up in Wroclaw in normal living conditions for that period. As a child, I studied dancing and ballet there, as well as violin. Since then, I have spoken Polish fluently. With Gomulka‘s rise to power the gates opened for immigration and my parents decided to make aliyah to Israel. They gave up their Polish citizenship and we immigrated to Israel, to Shikun Dalet in Be’er Sheva. My father worked as a construction worker to support us. When I was in the eighth grade, we moved to Rishon LeZion, where we lived for a long time.

At the age of 16 I went to study at the Air Force Technical School in Haifa, majoring in electrical engineering, and when I was recruited into the army, I was assigned to the Air Force.

Here begins the dance era.

In certain circumstances, which I won’t detail, I found my way to Shalom Amar’s z”l dance session, and he was impressed with me as someone with promising dance potential. That day in 1965 was a very significant date in my life. Shalom Amar, without any special preparations, sent me straight to Yonatan Karmon, without any auditions or special tests. For some reason, I was accepted into the troupe and immediately integrated into a performance program under Karmon’s direction.

I received special leave from my military unit and I joined a performance tour at the Olympia in Paris – three weeks of an unimaginable dream. I was 20 years old then, on an incredible dream journey. One of the dancers in the troupe was a young woman named Ofira, one of the most beautiful and talented in Karmon’s troupe, who would later become my wife and remains so to this very day.

I was discharged from the IDF and fully integrated into the wonderful Karmon Company of those days. For 15 years I danced in that company as a true professional dancer with the appropriate (modest) salary and conditions. It was the most beautiful period of my life.

With the Karmon Company we travelled the world. After the Six-Day War, we conducted a year-long tour of Jewish and non-Jewish communities around the world. We performed in South America, South Africa, Canada, the USA, and European countries. During our tours, we would return home to Israel every few months, where I could explore other pursuits a bit, in the field of dance of course.

 

Musical Theater and Shows

I participated as a dancer in the show “Hello Dolly” with Shraga Friedman and Hanna Maron. I danced in the final performances of the musical “Kazablan” at Giora Godik‘s theater, and then I was accepted to rehearsals for the musical “My Fair Lady” (second edition) with Rivka Raz, but I did not perform because I preferred to travel abroad with the Karmon Company.

I appeared frequently in fashion shows, at the Israeli Opera and in television dance performances with choreographer Yaakov Kaluski. During our performances, I married the dancer from the Karmon Company – Ofira, with whom I share my life to this day.

That’s how I continued my dance activities until I was 40.

I can sum up this period as great fun. It was not an exceptional source of income, but it was a source of pleasure, pride and endless broadening of horizons. For a long period of these 15 years with the Karmon Company, I also served as an assistant to Yonatan himself.

It is important to note that Karmon is the gold standard for everyone working in this field. He is also the father of Israeli folk dance with some ironclad classics such as “Haro’a Haktana – The Little Shepherdess”, “Me’Emek LeGiva – From a Valley to a Hill”, “Al Tira – Do Not Fear”, and more (see here). Karmon created his dances for the stage, and Danny Uziel z”l simplified them – these dances – and adapted them for folk dance sessions as they are danced today in Israel and around the world. Yonatan was also the founder and director of the “Karmiel Festival.”

– And after the age of 40?

When the time came and with age, I stepped down from the stage as an active dancer. I began working with dance companies as an independent choreographer. The first company I worked with as a choreographer was the “Gvanim” company from Rishon LeZion, under Ilana Segev’s direction. I spent 12 years with that company, the representative company of Rishon LeZion, through performance of the pieces “Horati” and “Shedemati” at festivals in Israel and abroad.

Currently, I work with three dance troupes:

1. Lehakat “Vatikei Petah Tikva”, the troupe with whom I have been working for 20 years, is well-known in Israel and worldwide.
2. Another group of mine is “Hora Herzliya”, which I founded together with accordionist Danny Shalmon and his partner, Smadar Nir. I work with them to this day.
3. Several years ago, I founded Lehakat “Hora Gezer” of the Gezer Regional Council, with whom I work to this day.

Into all my dance troupes I have infused Yonatan Karmon’s style, which as mentioned, is the gold standard in this field.

For my own enjoyment, I ventured into different styles, which I also taught in the studio during in-between times. On my trips to the United States between performances, in my free time I enrolled in a jazz studio and also tap. I love jazz music and in Israel I established a dance studio together with Shlomo Rozmarin-Roza. For my enjoyment, I study tap with Yuval Beck in Ramat Gan.

Choreographer and Instructor of Folk Dances

As is well known, in all folk dance sessions Tuvia’s dances are danced, many of which have long been considered as classics. For years, Tuvia has been conducting weekly sessions in Herzliya and Ra’anana with a group of devoted fans who love the “Israeli” folk style.

Tuvia Recounts:

In the 1980s and beyond, Yoav Ashriel z”l organized “hishtalmuyot” – workshops – for instructors where new dances were taught and previously introduced dances were reviewed. Like others, I also came to those courses to learn the new dances. By then I was already strong in the repertoire and well-known in the field, and Yoav treated me as an authority, a partner in the system. One day Yoav approached me: “Tuvia, how is it that you haven’t yet choreographed a dance? From now on, at every workshop you will bring a new dance of your own creation.” I accepted the ‘order’ and at the next workshop I came with the dance “Kacha Ve’Kacha – Like This and Like That” to a song by Shalom Hanoch. The dance was well received at that workshop, caught on well, and immediately became part of the “best-seller” list.

So, at Yoav Ashriel’s request, I brought a new dance to each of the workshops. In this framework, for example, I taught “Hatzel Va’Ani” – My Shadow and I”, “Rina”, “Zinguala”, “Shai”, and many other good ones. Later, for example, also “Pgisha Le’Ein Keitz – Meeting With No End” and so on – to this day, about 80 dances that are known to dancers in Israel and abroad (Tuvia’s Dances). Over the years, I have instructed in various countries at dance camps in Japan, the USA, Australia, Europe – a worldwide contribution.

– Tuvia, please tell us about the creation of recreational dances and the current state of Israeli dance. What is it like to create a dance? What is a good dance? Something about dance sessions today?

For me, choreographing a dance is something spiritual. The song – the melody, the lyrics – has to do something to me in my body and soul. The melody is more important, but I also react to the verbal content. For example, a hug in a song will somehow bring a hug into the dance, and so on. A new dance in general must also bring something new, some new element and not repeat the same routine step patterns every time. The dance needs to challenge the dancers while still being simple. But creating a simple dance is the hardest thing.

Every dance must be special and not boring. And as someone who considers himself knowledgeable about music, I am very particular about editing the recording for the dance: proper cutting of transition sections (arrangement), the rhythm, and thus crafting the perfection of the dance before presenting it to the dance community.

Regarding your question about what’s happening in dance sessions and in general, in my opinion, the flood of new dances is indeed unhealthy. After all, many dances fade after two or three weeks, so apparently, they don’t capture the love of the dance community. Good dances are not forgotten even after 50 years, and they are ironclad assets in the general repertoire. And, in general, dancers choose the session and the dance leader according to the style they love, whether it’s the older type, the quieter ones, or the more rhythmic dances: the people decide. And look, we see a phenomenon where sometimes half of the dancers sit on the sidelines right from the start of the teaching. The style simply isn’t to their taste.

– And the future? Tuvia, where are the young people in our folk dance classes and sessions?

Indeed, this style apparently doesn’t speak to them. They are looking for something like hip-hop, or trance. We, who are entrusted with spreading folk dance, need to find the style that will also suit young people, so they can integrate into this beautiful recreational activity. And yet there are also quite a few young people who enjoy dancing with the adults together in the same session, a blessed integration of generations.