EFSC-Trained Dancers Join Israel Peace Tour

Four former Eastern Florida State College dance students will travel to Israel on December 14 to represent Brevard County in a Peace Ambassador Tour.

The former students comprise a dance team called the Shalom Dancers. They include Alina Bonventre, Stephanie Hoffmanns, Mikayla Goetz and Mikael Maynard. Each is an accomplished dancer who studied modern and jazz dance with Eastern Florida Dance Instructor Susan Smith.

Smith serves as a dance mentor and consultant for the Shalom Dancers and will travel to Israel with them.

The Shalom Dancers are part of a larger contingent of 33 people travelling as Peace Ambassadors to Beit Shemesh, Israel - a sister city to Cocoa since 2007.

Sister city relationships are common around the world and are intended to elevate cultural knowledge and improve local diplomacy. Cocoa established the relationship with Israel to connect Brevard County to the United States’ only democratic ally in the Middle East.

The Shalom Dancers are scheduled to perform in multiple venues around Israel including the majestic Mount Masada, the desert fortress of King Herod. 

For more information about dance opportunities at EFSC, contact Performing and Visual Arts Department Chair Dr. ChanJi Kim at 321-433-5790 or kimc@easternflorida.edu.