Established in 1948, and located in the northeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, the gateway to Asia, Africa, and Europe and the only Jewish state in the world, is the sole and only democratic country in the Middle East. Judaism as the majority religion in Israel, Rosh Hashana is celebrated as the Jewish New Year between September and October (on October 2nd in 2016). Havazalot Netanya Dance Company is the representative group of Netaya, Israel. Its works combine tradition and innovation inspired by daily life in Israel, stories from the Old Testament, and religious customs in a humorous and live performance.
In the Old Testament, dance is to present the happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, and religious devotion in Jewish culture; the promotion and heritage of folkdance are quite emphasized. In addition to dances for traditional events, including farming harvest and weddings, new choreographers start to included foreign characters in their work. The world famous piece, ″Mayim Mayin″ Dance, is the most well-known example; it is also the first international folkdance to be introduced in Taiwan. At the time of 1975, with its high popularity in Taiwan, it was regarded as a classic example of international folkdance.