12 August 1 • 2019
jn

T

he Detroit Maccabi dance team just wants 
to have fun. A group of 17 close-knit girls 
ranging in age from 12 to 16, the dancers 
clearly have a great time together and love what 
they are doing. 
The team’
s upbeat attitude and familial dynam-
ic are responsible for their history of success, 
according to coaches Liz Rosen and Paula Lynn. 
The JCC Maccabi Games will be held for the sixth 
time in Detroit Aug. 4-9. 
“Detroit does very well in dance at Maccabi,” 
Lynn said as she observed her team warming up 
at a rehearsal. “Hopefully, we can live up to the 
high expectations for our team this year.”
Dance is one of Detroit’
s most successful 
Maccabi competitions. The teens consistently 
bring home first place in their production num-
bers and a majority of the gold medals in the indi-
vidual and small group dances. 
Despite the high expectations, the girls are just 
there to have a good time. The team’
s welcoming 
atmosphere and the strength of the friendships 
they have formed is something that continuously 
impresses first-time coach Paula Lynn, who decid-
ed to begin coaching after her daughter, Mari, 
aged out of the Maccabi competition.
“After my daughter aged out, we both wanted to 
stay involved in the team, so I decided to coach,” 
Lynn said. “Mari is our official assistant coach.”
“I absolutely love Maccabi,” said Mari, 17. 
“Being an assistant coach is a different perspective 
than being a dancer, but I like being able to be 

someone the younger girls can look up to.”
Because Detroit is hosting the games this year, 
delegations from the area can have younger ath-
letes compete. The dance team has its youngest 
group in a quite a while, consisting of multiple 
12- and 13-year-old dancers.
Mina Levin of Birmingham, 12, is competing 
for the first time this year.
“I joined the team because I love to dance and it 
sounded like fun,” she said.
Coaches Lynn and Rosen have been impressed 
with how the more experienced dancers have 
made the younger girls feel at home.
“We have such a nice team,” Lynn said. “They 
were all new at some point, so they know what it’
s 
like, and they just want to help.”
For many of the girls, it is important to encour-
age new dancers because they were nervous when 
they first joined the team.
Emma Goldschmidt, 16, of Waterford didn’
t 
know anyone when she joined the team four years 
ago.
“I was so scared when I started, but everyone 
was super nice and made me feel comfortable,” 
she said.
Dancer Emma Salle of West Bloomfield had 
a different set of anxieties when she joined the 
team.
“I thought everyone would be a better dancer 
than me,” she said with a laugh. 
Despite these initial fears, after several years 
on the team, the dancers are always reluctant to 

Detroit’
s Maccabi dance
team plans to bring its usual 
heat to the competition.

JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN
PHOTOS BY DERRICK MARTINEZ

TOP: Detroit’
s Maccabi 

Dance Team stretches before 

a rehearsal. ABOVE: With 

concentration, Nicole Spizizen 

practices a move.

Feel

The

Beat

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