A fairly common feature of Israeli children's hofa’ot (performances) is the way overused fresh and original ultraviolet light.
Typically, the young performers don black clothes and put white socks on their hands and shoeless feet. Upon occasion, the kids will then add white belts or scarves to complete the look.
The overhead lights are turned off, and – with the “purple light” shining on the stage – the captive audience proud and loving parents watch as disembodied white blobs dance in unison before them.
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to see countless renditions of this routine - especially in honor of Chodesh Irgun and also at Chanukah parties in gan.
But it was only today that I learned that an ultraviolet light is known as an ooltra in Hebrew.
And what about the dance itself? According to one of my favorite Heblish-speakers, it’s referred to as “doing an ooltra.” (Sample sentence: “For our rikud (dance), we’re going to do an ooltra.”)
The best (or maybe sillient) part of watching the white blobs dance is watching all the pictures being taken of the performance. That one can't tell which blobs belong to your chid is irrelevant. The important thing is to have a picture to show your child that you took of his/her performance. He/She then feels good that the parents cared enough to photograph.
ReplyDeletesorry that was silliest--that was pretty silly ;)
ReplyDeletedisembodied white blobs dance
ReplyDeleteLOL!
The important thing is to have a picture to show your child that you took of his/her performance.
ReplyDeleteThat's what so great about digital cameras... One can take lots and lots of these types of pictures without having to worry about "wasting the film".
Leora - Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSo, they still do those shows? In the predigital days, when my kids danced in black with white socks on their hands, we didn't take pictures.
ReplyDeleteSo, they still do those shows?
ReplyDeleteApparently, they have to; I believe that a "snif" isn't "yotzai" Chodesh Irgun if there isn't at least one dance with an "ooltra"...
:-)
why are you making fun of us its not nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, YAT.
ReplyDeleteMazal tov on Friday's hanachat tefilin! The pictures are beautiful.
BTW, is there anything we can say to get you to come take the test here?
:-)
Haven't yet had the privilege of being subjected to, I mean, entertained by, an ooltra... although the ultra-loud music is enough of a barrage on the senses to make up for the lack of a retina-burning light source.
ReplyDeleteI hope all these white-blob kids are instructed not to look at the UV. For now I'm happy to stick with all the waving flags and crepe-paper thingies.
At one of the last performances I attended, not only did we have to sit through the entire performance (eight classes each doing their own 5-minute dance, with 5-minute recess in between each), but afterwards we had to sit through a video of all the other performances they had done over the past three years. What an endurance test, oof.
ALN: Unfortunately, many people make light (no pun intended) of the UV light's inherent dangers.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Nice use of "oof"! NBN should tell new olim that the best indication that their kids have adjusted to Israel is that they've started saying "oof" - and, of course, employing the infamous "lo rotzeh" shoulder shrug...
:-)