Education, Youth

Youth Ball

About this project

Somer's Youth Ball is an annual community celebration, previously organized independently, but since 2018 hand in hand with Hanoar Hatzioni. The central theme of the all-night party is dancing together. All age groups (between ages 6 and 18) active in the youth organizations attend the program. In the weeks leading up to the Ball, we have dance classes, which is just enough to learn the ten different dance styles and have fun.

Why is it important?

If we allow children to do adult activities, they will feel trusted. Usually, they will use this trust for their development and growth. The Ball is an excellent example of the practical implementation of youth autonomy, and as an organization dealing with young people, we truly believe in its importance. The general immediacy that characterizes informal education is more than evident here: heterogeneous or homogeneous dance partnerships form organically ignoring the often so intensively sexualized norms of dance culture. The children's community's selfless love and naturalness teach us acceptance in many ways.

Why is it special?

The spectacle of a wide age range is very friendly and intimate. The couples are mixed in age, sometimes out of courtesy, because it means a lot for the younger participants (aged 6-10) to dance with the cool older ones (aged 15-18). These experiences will follow them throughout their childhood and serve as a basis for developing self-confidence and setting boundaries. The other unique aspect of the project is that it became an event of a partnership between youth organizations. It created an opportunity for Somer and Hanoar to have informal meetings, for the children as well as the madrichim (young leaders) to make friends with one another. The personal relationships among the leaders help the exchange of information between the organizations, the joint planning, the mutual attention during their future work, and it has strengthened the ongoing cooperation ever since.