Someone seeking world-class Israeli folk dancers might peg Winnipeg as the last place to look.
Actually, it should be among the first. The Canadian city of 650,000 is home to a thriving Jewish population and an equally vibrant Jewish arts scene, including a hot klezmer community. But most Winnipeggers (that’s what they call ’em) consider the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble to be the crown jewel of the local Jewish arts community.
The 45-member ensemble, which includes dancers, singers and musicians, has been entertaining audiences with original works for the stage for more than 40 years. It is named after its late founder.
The group makes its Bay Area premiere with a Sunday, Feb. 13, performance at Campbell’s Heritage Theater, as part of a three-city California tour.
On stage, the Chai Folk Ensemble is a like a Jewish “Riverdance” on steroids. The pace is frenetic, the choreography tight and dazzling. Over the years, the troupe has performed at concerts and festivals across Canada, the United States, Mexico and Israel.
Native Winnipegger Tracy Kasner Greaves practically grew up with the ensemble, serving first as a singer, then vocal director and now as artistic director.
She says the biggest difference between Chai and other Israeli dance troupes is the live music: They’ve got it, while most others do not. “We’re brighter,” she says. “The energy is outstanding. When the ensemble group comes together, the whole room comes alive.”
Rather than simply replicate common Israeli folk dances, Chai imports top choreographers like Israel’s Shai Gottesman and Mexico’s Alberto Zirlinger to create new dances. The results are stage works that draw on the wide world of Jewish experience, from Eastern Europe to Yemen, from Israel to Ethiopia.
“Our African number is called ‘Chasidah,'” says Greaves, “which means ‘stork.’ It’s the story of Operation Exodus, when Israel took in planeloads of Ethiopians. The words in Hebrew say, ‘The stork is coming to take us.’ That’s the piece that gets to everyone.”
In addition to her duties with Chai, Greaves also serves as cantorial soloist for the Conservative Congregation Etz Chayim. She is a born-and-bred Manitoban who loves the local Jewish scene, frozen in ice though it may be.
“Winnipeg’s a great place to live as a Jew,” she says. “The community is really strong, the JCC here is extremely powerful. We all know each other and have a great sense of family. That connection is important to me.”
Greaves notes that ensemble members do not get paid, and fundraising is a chronic concern. “Even our directors and administrators are paid bupkes,” she adds, “but people do this for the reward of the work.”
According to Greaves, bringing a touch of North Africa to chilly Winnipeg (winter temperatures get down to 40 below) is an added benefit of Chai. “We had a huge snowstorm last week,” she says, “and when I pulled up for rehearsal, I saw five dancers shoveling out an entrance way. I had the thought, ‘This is what keeps us going in Winnipeg. We could be in the desert in Israel.'”
The Chai Folk Ensemble performs 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at the Heritage Theater, 1 West Campbell Ave., Campbell. $18-$54. Information: (408) 358-3636.