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It bring people together from around the world, that does have any connection to Israel.
To come and understand Israelis and what they do here.
Its something priceless.
The idea is to bring here young adults who want to dance and to provide them with something
that is closest to a professional dance experience.
30 dancers from around the world come to dance here in Israel. Most of whom were never here
before.
They hear about Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. A very famous company. One that is
very successful in Israel and around the world.
They dance all day long. Five days a week from 9 in the morning till 8 in the evening.
We are not just studying dance, but we're living dance as a way of life.
Because you live in the place where you dance. You have relationships with the dancers from
the company.
There's an opportunity -- especially with this program -- to really focus on dance,
which I had never gotten the chance to do before.
Its not easy. We didn't choose something so easy. But this is what is special about it.
And the fact that we have one another to lift each other up and to help when it gets tough.
We're surrounded by -- I don't know how much you can see --but its so peaceful here. You
learn so much. A huge variety of repertoire and we get to work with so many different
people that nothing ever gets boring.
They come to dance, but we enrich them with content that we find highly valuable and wonderful.
That this is where we connect to MASA.
We also have Hebrew classes that are very fun. There are programs that take on trips
to the south of the country. We volunteer.
We have also an opportunity to know Israel.
Not just the dance bubble. Its also a good opportunity to see Israel as a country.
In a different way than we see from our home.
Because Israel is not a country that we're use to hearing in a nice way. We just hear
Israel from the war, from bad things.
So this is good because people can see Israel in another way. From different eyes.
Its somewhere that has just been in the books for me sort of. Its always been talked about.
When I was in school I learned about it. From a political and historical standpoint. But
actually to live here is really special and is really unique.
In Australia no one can say [my name] lee-AT. Every says LEE-it or LIE-it. So many variations
of my name.
All of my high school teachers called me LEE-it.
And my sister is Michal and she's always been 'Michael'
No one can get it so its nice to be here where people don't look and me weird.
Many friends didn't understand what I'm doing here in Israel because of what they here on
television and on the internet.
Almost everything that's reported about the country is not the best for Israel.
Its amazing because I really realize how my friends, especially when one day they came
here for the first time, they completely changed their idea about Israel.
Coming here, seeing how beautiful it is, how many things you can do. How many beautiful
places you have. And even though its so small, its full of everything.
Before I came here, I went traveling for a month through Europe and the flight here was
the only flight wasn't silent. Everyone was just yelling and talking. I was so happy.
Everyone reminded me of my dad and the culture and since then I was just happy just to get
here.
I came here thinking I would never stay. I'd be here for five months and I'd love it, but
I'd go home and live in New York City like everyone else in my school. But then I decided
to stay for five more months and I hope to audition and dance more in Tel Aviv.
I'm so proud that I can be here and learn from Israelis and speak Hebrew and feel like
an Israeli.
They only want to dance and they leave here full of love and experiences and as a type
of ambassador.
They see things that that the best PR in the world, in my opinion, couldn't bring people
to think, feel or talk about.
Its as if I received only a small taste, and I haven't finish. I still have more to do
in Israel.
I really love being here and I think it would be so nice to live here one day. I love being
on the kibbutz. You can just deflate here and think and understand.
I'm simply so happy. Its great.