For many people, ballroom dancing might simply be a great form of exercise, a fun way to spend an afternoon, or a great excuse to laugh at their favorite celebrities, but for one man, dancing mean so much more. Pierre Dulaine left Jaffa, Israel as a small boy, but when he returned in 2011, he returned with a plan. Through ballroom dance lessons, he hoped to bring peace to his homeland. In a city of conflict, he is having the children of fighting Jewish and Palestinian Israelis dance together. Dulaine said of this:
When you touch someone, something happens. And when you touch someone with respect and compassion, you get that respect and compassion back. The dancing frame is known as the embrace hold. If I’m dancing with you, I am in an embrace hold with you- how can I be angry with you?
Although he admits there have been challenges along the way, this is not the first time he has worked to have ballroom dance unite groups who are not getting along. Twenty years ago, he implemented a similar program in New York City. At first, he said the tweens were reluctant to touch each other, but over 350,000 students have gone through the program since its 1994 inception.
When he started the 10-week program in Jaffa, much like in New York City, there were parents and students who did not like the idea. For the final competition, though, 500 people showed up. Dulaine’s program has expanded to a variety of schools across Israel.
Although we cannot promise peace, at Quick Quick Slow Ballroom Dance Studio, we want to offer you an enjoyable experience. Since the dance hold is considered the “embrace hold,” maybe you can draw closer to your significant other through taking dance lessons together. Whether you are considering taking lessons with someone else or on your own, contact us to get started.