Dance as a fast track to creating bonds of relationship

I’ve seen it over and over – a crowd of people, some friends, some strangers, slightly nervous but filled with a guarded anticipation.  The music begins, some simple follow-the-leader activities, and in a very short time people are grinning, their eyes are sparkling, and they are really seeing each other in a warm way.

Whether Jewish or not, there is something in the DNA of Yiddish dance and the klezmer music that accompanies it that has a natural resonance for all sorts of people.  From children to seniors, there is a way of taking part and celebrating.   In no time at all, people have a radically enjoyable shared experience that they will remember and talk about for a long time.

I’ve spent over two decades creating this kind of experience for people from every background in the US, Canada and throughout Europe.

-Steve Weintraub


Find a menu of my programs HERE

"I agree with those who call Steven Weintraub 'a magician of the Jewish dance'. And it is not only about the workshops alone, he dances everywhere that it is possible: after concerts on the little square in front of the Tempel synagogue, in the street when music is playing, indefatigably during the crowded Thursday Night Dance Party, for hours backstage during the 'Shalom on Sharoka'. For me - though he is not one of the veterans - he soon became an important part of the Festival's landscape."
-Anna Dodziuk
Second Soul: Twenty Jewish Culture Festivals in Cracow

We talked and talked about how amazing it is when you lead dancing - for people of all ages you have the ability to create such heartfelt community

-Cantor Julie Yugend-Green

Oak Park Temple

....One thing was different,however a new member of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band was Steve, a dancer. He got the people out of their seats and taught us “a lot of moves” - how to dance to all kinds of Jewish music. It was interesting to see a new dynamic in the concert from previous years. People’s energy levels increased and interests peaked as they learned how to really dance and implement their newly learned skills on the dance floor. In my opinion, this one addition to the concert format changed the effect of the entire evening from just enjoyable to memorable. Let’s take a lesson like the Hasidic Rebbe. When asked, “What can you learn from a Klezmer Concert?” we can say,
“One improvement, one change, can alter an event from the routine to the spectacular.”

Rabbi Mann
Temple B’nai Israel