Sabra dancer tries to break through on the LA scene

Asaf Goren from Tel Aviv is competing in the top 20 of Fox’s hit show So You Think You Can Dance.

By ALAN ZEITLIN
Updated: JULY 23, 2015 14:44
Asaf Goren shows off the moves that have gotten audiences talking on US hit ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ (photo credit: COURTESY FOX)
Asaf Goren shows off the moves that have gotten audiences talking on US hit ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’
(photo credit: COURTESY FOX)
Asaf Goren left Tel Aviv for Los Angeles with big dance moves, a big heart and a big attitude. But when the judges told him he hadn’t made the top 20 of Fox’s hit show So You Think You Can Dance, he was thinking about making a big commotion.
“I was calm on stage, but later I wanted to go to the Fox offices and tell them to let me back on the show,” he tells Metro in a phone interview. “I had a lot more to give, and it wasn’t my time to go.”
As luck would have it, “The Hebrew Breaker” didn’t have to go. A producer called him to let him know he could return to the show because another competitor had gotten injured.
“He asked if I was sitting down, and I told him I was,” Goren, 23, recounts. “I was crying, I was so emotional. I am on a mission in the US; I want to inspire people. There is no breakdancer that has broken through. People have said to me, ‘It’s never been done before. You think you’re going to come from Israel and do it?’ I’m ready for the challenge.”
He made the most of his second chance on his return, nailing the choreography, with which he’d struggled mightily in previous performances on the show. He has performed otherworldly signature moves, and has received standing ovations and praise from the judges: Jason Derulo has called him a star who will “create something special that can change the world,” Paula Abdul has described him as “indescribable,” and Nigel Lythgoe has called his dancing “bloody great.”
Controversy occurred, however, when Goren performed after a contestant who was roundly praised for a routine featuring headspins. Goren briefly covered his face with a mask before starting his routine, and ended it in a mock strangulation – a metaphor showing that he was willing to die for the competition.
“This is not ‘So You Think You Can Entertain,’” Lythgoe informed him. “It’s So You Think You Can Dance.”
Then it was chutzpah time.
“It’s ‘So You Think You Can Do A Headspin’?” Goren retorted, adding that it was the 12th season, and in 2015 they needed to see new moves. The judges were taken aback, with some of them calling his remarks “disrespectful.”
Yet Goren has no regrets about his comments.
“I needed my voice to be heard,” he maintains. “If I need to say something, I’ll do it, and I don’t think about if I’ll get cut from the show. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
Blessed with good looks, Goren –who hails from Petah Tikva – is also a model.
He says it’s not his true passion, but it pays the bills. While he’s shown some silliness, it’s clear he has a fearlessness and a ferocity. Where does it come from? “Growing up in Israel, sometimes it’s intense, but it makes you be a man,” he says. “I grew up with a warm feeling of family. It brings something real out of you... a bold, honest energy. It helps you get over a lot of obstacles in life.”
He divulges that he’s dealt with depression as a result of an injury to his leg and ankle while doing a flip; this required several surgeries, including getting nine screws in his ankle that temporarily sidelined him from dancing. The injury cut short his time in the army, where he served for only a year and a half.
When he was four years old, his father left home. But he’s now on good terms with his dad, who recently visited the show.
Goren says that even though he’s a five-time Israeli judo champion, he holds back from using his skills when someone disrespects him.
“I was doing a show in Europe, and someone spit on me when I was wearing an Israeli flag,” he recalls. “I didn’t fight; I don’t have time for that. There are people that won’t get on stage with me because I’m Israeli. They don’t hide it, they say it.”
Still, he emphasizes, “I am proud to represent Israel in competitions around the world and in this competition, which people watch around the world.”
He arguably had the most memorable reality show audition of any Jewish performer. He arrived wearing a tallit over his head and blew a shofar, though not well. He spun and threw the prayer shawl down as he danced to the “Im Nin’alu” segment of Madonna’s song “Isaac.” Although Goren is not religious, he says he felt it was important to show his heritage, and that he only threw the tallit in the excitement of the moment and meant no disrespect.
Then came the jaw-dropping moves that got social media abuzz.
He did a now-signature move of pulling up his shirt to cover his face and doing a flip, landing on his back. He topped that by taking off his shirt, pouring water on the floor and doing some unbelievable ground spins.
“The first move [means] you can’t be afraid of risk, and you have to go for it,” he explains. “It’s like flying blind. With the water, it’s from when Moses was put out in the water in a basket to save him.”
Goren’s mother was a dancer, but his exposure to breakdancing came at age 12 when he saw some children doing it, and he took it upon himself to practice and improve. He says his mother was not supportive of his decision to be a breakdancer at first, but warmed up to the idea when she saw how serious he was and how he trained to compete at a high level.
He is proud of his country and tells people they will love it.
“I always encourage them to visit Israel,” he says. “Israel is a magical country, and I let people know that even with all the problems the country has, there is an honesty and culture that is amazing.”
He says he is fueled by the momentum of the last performance, and credits the three dancers in his group for working so hard. He’s focused on combining his Middle Eastern flavor with an American groove and wants everyone to know his name, even if some can’t pronounce it correctly, calling him “A-Saf.”
Abdul has gushed over him and has been his biggest defender.
“I like her,” Goren enthuses. “I like all the judges. They’re cool and give good advice.”
The dancer says he is thankful for support from Israeli fans and Jewish fans around the world, but stresses that he is performing for everyone.
“It doesn’t matter what religion you are, your personality, your identity, people sometimes are afraid to be who they really are and go for their dream,” he asserts.
“My message is, you should go for it, and you can’t stop. I’ve failed many times. I’ve been teased, laughed at and bullied. To be honest, it hurts sometimes when people criticize. Also, I was injured and was scared I wouldn’t be able to dance again. You have to keep fighting. I feel like I’m fighting on the floor all the time.”
According to his manager, Ofer Ziv, the wildly unpredictable performer is able to handle whatever pressure comes his way.
“The cameras don’t bother him,” Ziv says. “He has experience and can handle anything.”
Goren’s first name, which means one who gathers or collects, is fitting, because he also does motivational speaking and is a singer. He recorded the song “Beauty,” to which he danced on the show.
As for fans of his abs (and his dancing) who might have a romantic interest, he has good news and bad news.
“I am single,” he reveals, “but I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”
No matter where this adventure takes him, he plans on staying on in LA to pursue a singing career. Either way, having advanced this past Monday, his next performance on the show will be on July 27.
Follow him on Twitter: @asafgoren1 and Facebook: www.facebook.com/I.am.ASAF