Klezmer dance
Yael Schy & Ellis IslandYael Schy is a dynamic dance instructor known for her creative approach to learning and her emphasis on leading and following skills. Yael has over 30 years of experience as a performer and teacher in theater and dance, including serving as a dancer and choreographer with Westwind International Folk Ensemble and with Jubilee American Dance Theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area, and dancing with Avaz International Dance Theatre in Los Angeles. She teaches various forms of social partner dancing and folk dancing to both groups and individuals, where her primary focus is on the give and take of leading and following. Yael has been a dance instructor at Lark World Music and Dance Camp for the past 9 years, and has taught dance at Monte Toyon, Echo Summit, Alta Sierra, Dance Awakening, Camp Harmony, the San Francisco Free Folk Festival, and various other dance and music venues, as well as at Dominican University of California. She is also a member of Pan Theater, a San Francisco based improvisational theater performing troupe.
In addition, Yael brings a unique perspective by incorporating her dance and improvisational theater experience into active communication skills training, coaching, and teambuilding in the workplace. She is principal of Dramatic Strides® Consulting, specializing in communication skills, teambuilding and creative decision making techniques that help people and organizations move forward together. Her Teamwork Tango® workshop, which teaches leadership and teambuilding skills through the metaphor of partner dancing, has been presented at a number of professional conferences and organizations in the United States and abroad. Yael has a demonstrated track record in assessing the communication needs of both individuals and organizations and in developing innovative strategies that meet personal and business goals. Yael can be reached at yael@pobox.com.
Ellis Island Old World Folk Band has played a pioneering role in reviving klezmer music in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been delighting audiences for two decades with its performance of this lively Eastern European Jewish music.
