Orly Shemesh was born in Haifa in 1976. In 1983, her family moved to Karmiel, the “folk dance capital of Israel”, from where her love of dance naturally developed. At an early age, she joined Lehakat Karmei Karmiel (the Karmei Karmiel Dance Troupe) and progressed to the youth and adult troupes under the leadership of choreographer Dado Krauss.

The magic she experienced in the Lehaka paved the way for Orly‘s love and desire to engage and focus on this field in her adult life as well.

At the age of 18, she was supposed to audition for the “Shalom Tel Aviv” Lehaka under the direction of Gavri Levi z”l, one of Israel’s leading dance companies, but unfortunately, following a car accident, she had to give up on her dream. Following the accident, she thought she would never be able to return to dancing professionally.

In 2002, after several years in Tel Aviv and abroad, Orly returned to Kibbutz HaGoshrim, where she met her husband, and in 2004 established a home and family in Katzrin in the Golan Heights. Orly has two daughters – Shahar (16) and Rotem (13).

In 2009, at a Shavuot happening in Katzrin, a community harkada was held under the direction of Haya Shifman z”l. Orly relates: “There I felt how my desire and love for folk dance erupts like lava from a volcano and that nothing can withstand this desire”.

Orly adds that alongside with chiropractic treatments, with which she dealt, and her integration as a dancer in the harkada of Haya Shifman z”l, her desire to study the subject and engage in it professionally was formed.

In 2010, Orly enrolled in a course for folk dance instructors at Campus Siim, Tel Aviv University under the direction of Gadi Bitton and from there in a choreography course.

From the moment she finished the course and received her instructor’s certificate, Orly took an active part in the Karmiel and Ashdodance dance festivals, various marathons throughout the country and in Machol Aviv in 2015 in Belgium.

For several years now, Orly has been conducting sought-after and successful harkadot (dance sessions) for women – one in Tzfat (Safed) and the other in Kiryat Motzkin.

Precisely when Orly was at the peak of her momentum as an instructor, the coronavirus broke out and stopped everything. “I felt I had nowhere to expend my energies,” she explains. “I realized that I must find a way to return to dance and preserve the knowledge of my dancers and therefore created a live Facebook broadcast system that gave dancers in Israel and around the world hope and the ability to preserve knowledge”.

Concurrent with her work as a dance leader, Orly began choreographing new dances. To date, she has created 18 dances that have become part of the large repertoire of Israeli folk dance, and they are danced throughout the country and in many places around the world.

About “Chafetz Chayim” she says:

The dance, which was choreographed to a song by Yardena Arazi, was a great success in Israel and around the world. The song was brought to my attention by one of my dancers from Tzfat – Leah Mizrahi, who called one morning and said: “Orly, you must check with Irgun HaMarkidim (the Association of Dance Leaders and Choreographers) to see if this song is taken. If not … it is tailored just for you. And so it was.

A few hours after the song was registered in my name, and with the help of my good friend, Amir Katz in the editing of the song, the steps were born as if they came out of my womb.

Chafetz Chayim – Desiring Life

Lyrics: Rachel Shapira

Music: Jaroslav Jakubowicz

Performed by: Yardena Arazi

I was seen camping in a fenced area

Was seen thirsty as a wanderer in the desert

Rain is about to fall

Rain is about to fall

In the terrible noise, I look up

Remembering the face of the man and the face of the girl

Rain is about to fall

Rain is about to fall

On cold mornings

Warm life lingers

On the narrow bridges

Meanings change directions

Desiring life in the strengthening wind

Desiring life between mudslide and heat-wave

All the seasons were given by Earth

And what Earth took terrifies me

Rain is about to fall

Rain is about to fall

In the terrible noise, I look up…

On the narrow bridges

The warm lives lean

Amongst the short poems

Completing final corrections

Desiring life in the strengthening wind

Desiring life in the strengthening wind

Chafetz Chayim – Notation of Dance Steps

Dance:         Orly Shemesh

Music:         Jaroslav Jakubowicz

Lyrics:         Rachel Shapira

Singer:        Yardena Arazi

Meter:         4/4
Formation: Circle

Part A: Face CCW

1-2    Step R fwd and rise up on toes.

3-6    Mayim / grapevine step: Cross L over R, step R to rt. to face center, cross L behind R, step R to rt. to face CCW.

7&8   Quick two-step fwd (step-tog-step) LRL.

9-10  ¾ turn rt. with two steps R, L moving fwd CCW to end facing center.

11-16 Open double tcherkessia step: Step R to rt., cross L over R, step back on R in place, step L to left, cross R over L, step back on L in place.

17-20 Step R to rt., cross L behind R, step R to rt. and pivot on R to make ½ turn rt. to face out of center, brush L to left.

21-24 Step L to left, cross R behind L, step L to left and pivot to make 1/4 turn left to face CCW, brush R fwd.

25-28 Step R fwd, step fwd onto L bending upper body slightly fwd, rock back onto R in place while straightening body, hold.

29-30 Step back on L, rock fwd onto R.

31-32 Quick two-step fwd (step-tog-step) LRL and face center.

Part B: Face Center

1-4    Step R to rt., cross L behind R, step R to rt. making 1/4 turn rt. to face CCW (left shoulder to center), touch left toes next to R.

5-8    Move into center: Step L to left, cross R behind L, step L to left and face center.

9-12  (Facing center): Tcherkessia step: Step R fwd, rock back in place on L, step R bwd, rock fwd in place on L.

13-16 ½ turn rt. moving fwd toward center with two steps R,L to face out of center (back to center); step bwd on R, rock fwd on L.

17-30 Repeat the pattern of counts 1-14 (Part B) moving out of center towards the circle line.

31-32 Face center: Sway R-L and face CW (in preparation for the following section).

Part C: Face CW

1-4    Move CW. Three steps fwd: R,L,R; pivot ½ turn rt. on R to face CCW.

5-8    Mayim step moving CCW crossing L over R (cross, side, behind, side).

9-10  Quick two-step fwd (step-tog-step) LRL.

11-12 Turn rt. moving fwd on the line of the circle with two steps: R,L to end facing center.

13-16 Face center: Sway R-L; cross R behind L, step L to left.  

17-20 Mayim step moving CW beginning with R over L.

21-22 Cross R over L, pivot ½ turn rt. on R to face CCW.

23-26 Three steps bwd L,R,L, touch rt. toes next to L.

27-30 Open mayim step moving fwd CCW beginning with R to rt. (side, in front, side, behind).

31-32 Turn rt. with two steps: R, L to end facing center.

Part D: Face center

1-4    Three steps fwd toward center R,L,R; pivot ¼ turn rt. to face CCW (left shoulder toward center).

5-8    Three steps bwd on the line of the circle L,R,L; touch rt. toes next to L.

9-12  Open mayim step moving fwd CCW beginning with R to rt. moving out of center.

13-16 Turn rt. on the line of the circle line with three steps R,L,R; cross L over R and pivot left to face center.

17-20 With arms raised: Sway R to rt., hold, sway L to left, hold.

21-24 Cross R over L, step L to left and pivot rt. to face CCW, step R bwd, lift L fwd.

25-28 Three steps fwd CCW: L,R,L; hold.

29-32 Moving fwd CCW: Turn rt. with three steps R,L,R, cross L over R.

Note: The second time through the dance, Part D repeats until the music ends.

Dance notation by Ruth Goodman and Ruth Schoenberg