Home » Jewish Inquiries » Jewish Music » The Horah to Hava Nagila

The Horah to Hava Nagila

The Horah, meaning "round dance," is the most popular of the Jewish folk dances. It can be performed to several tunes but most often to Hava Nagila. Wikipedia describes the dance as follows:

"To start the dance, everybody forms a circle, holding hands, and steps forward toward the right with the left foot, then follows with the right foot. The left foot is then brought back, followed by the right foot. This is done while holding hands and circling together in a fast and cheerful motion to the right. Large groups allow for the creation of several concentric circles.

"In the early days, Horah was popular mainly in the Kibbutzim and small communities. Later it became a must in group dances throughout Israel, and at weddings and other celebrations by Jews in Israel, the United States and Canada."