“Hunters, go home” was the phrase I heard Yoav say at almost every folk dance class (chug) that took place at Shenkar College in Ramat Gan.

The class, for Yoav, was the place where they came to learn, to create Israeli folklore with an added cultural value and not a meeting place for the purpose of dating.

When I got home after class, it felt like I was returning home from school with homework and a commitment to also prepare for perhaps a surprise test next time.

It is impossible to talk about Yoav without talking about Mira, the woman who accompanied him. She was his friend, colleague and inspiration. For the dancers, Mira was the strictest and most daunting. Woe unto him who errs in the steps and all the more so if he dares to dance in the middle of the circle. Yoav was the gentle figure with a constant smile on his lips and with almost infinite patience.

I took my first steps in Mira‘s class at the Dubnov School. Then I joined Yoav‘s class at Shenkar College, where I absorbed the love of dance, the serious and meticulous approach when it comes to steps, the hand hold, precise and meticulous instruction and observing each dancer together with providing personal attention. There, I experienced a veritable elation. They were my guiding light. From them I gained the knowledge of instruction and critical observation of each and every dance. Without any doubt I learned from the best, which was a serious stepping stone for me to the career of the following years.