Shir HaShirim
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Hebrew: שיר השירים (The Song of Songs, i.e., The Superlative Song). Circle dance by Shlomo Bachar, 1988 (but read on).
The Song
Under the name "Shir HaShirim BeSha'ashu'im", the song appears on Ofra Haza's 1977 album of almost the same name: "BeShir HaShirim BeSha'ashu'im". It was composed by Benyamin Etzioni, with lyrics by Betzalel Aloni. A few phrases are taken from Song of Songs in the Tanach.
The second line of the chorus is "shir hashirim begil urenana". In her early performances, Haza sang this line as "shir hashirim be-ta-na-na-na-na"—wherefore, God knoweth. At some point she switched to singing the line as written, which is how it appears in the recording we typically use.
The Dance
Bachar introduced a partner dance to this music at Hora Shalom 1983. At the same venue in 1988, he introduced the circle dance that we do today, to exactly the same recording. (In both cases the dance was called "Shir HaShirim V'Sha'ashuim".) Although there are many instances of a circle dance and a partner dance to the same music (see "Double" dances), the case of both dances created by the same choreographer is unique.
It is not known why Bachar chose to abandon his partner dance and make a circle dance. One possibility: There was already a partner dance to this music, created by Amnon Shauli in 1977 just as the song came out (and named after the song). Possibly Bachar decided that if he was going to reuse the music he should change the formation to reduce competition with Shauli's version. This may also be the reason that we now call the new dance just "Shir HaShirim". All this is entirely speculation.
The song has a musical interlude between the second and third verses. In Bachar's partner dance there is specific choreography for this section, including a long and energetic buzz step. In the new circle dance, if the recording has not been cut to eliminate the interlude, we simply and unapologetically repeat the first half of the chorus to fill the time.
Links
Bachar's circle dance at israelidances.com
Video of Bachar's circle dance at Rokdim, with no interlude
Video of Bachar's circle dance, with interlude
Bachar's partner dance at israelidances.com
Video of Bachar's partner dance, demonstrated at Hora Shalom 1983
Shauli's partner dance at israelidances.com
Video of Shauli's partner dance at Rokdim
Hebrew lyrics, not all of which appear in the recording we dance to
Ofra Haza performing the song in 1978, singing "ta-na-na-na-na" in the chorus
Another song containing "ta-na-na"