Rama Burshtein-Shai’s TV series ‘Fire Dance’ debuts on Yes

The stars of “Fire Dance,” the new Yes Studios drama that launched Sunday night on Yes, were all present at the Eretz Israel Museum on Sunday night for the official premiere of filmmaker Rama Burshtein-Shai’s long-awaited television debut.

“This journey was a wandering one for me, and changed my world from extreme to extreme, forcing my heart to be more courageous, deeper and more personal,” said Burshtein-Shai, the ultra-Orthodox filmmaker who created “Fill the Void” and “The Wedding Plan.”

“Before anything else, thank you to the world’s creator, who, from six days of creation, engineered many parts that were part of this puzzle,” said Burshtein-Shai. “I was granted the privilege that this journey would come my way.”

Burshtein-Shai then thanked each and every person who worked on the production, from actors and producers to crew and support staff.

The eight-part series, written and directed by Burshtein-Shai, is a vivid story of extreme emotion and the relationship between the spiritual leader of a tight-knit ultra Orthodox sect and his young female follower.

Natan, the married son of the leader of the sect, offers understanding and empathy for Feigie, an 18-year-old teen who becomes part of his household after a failed suicide attempt.

‘Fire Dance’ creator Rama Burshtein-Shai (far right) onstage April 24, 2022, at the premiere of the Yes Studios show. (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

Played by Yehuda Levi, the well-known Israeli actor and heartthrob who has played a rabbi in previous roles, Natan is intense and charismatic, the utterly believable Haredi leader of this sect who recently lost his father and who will battle his brother for the leadership role of Admor of their Hasidic sect.

Feigie, played by newcomer Mia Ivrin, is fragile and wounded, a target for the barbs and taunts of her classmates, and easy prey for Natan’s innate charm, even if he does not intend for Feigie fall in love with him.

Feigie’s mother, Rayzee, is acted by the recently ubiquitous Noa Koler, who has appeared in Burshtein-Shai’s previous productions. This time, she plays a mentally unstable, but loving mother.

There’s a heavy dose of fantasy in the storyline and scenery of “Fire Dance,” driven by Feigie’s dreamlike sequences that appear to take place against the blue skies, palm trees and Sea of Galilee of Tiberias, where Haredim have lived since the 18th century.

So far, “Fire Dance” is gripping and emotional, a fantastical journey of Burshtein-Shai’s heart and imagination, with each episode dropping on Yes TV on Sundays at 9 p.m.