RE: dancing with klezmer music

[Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky <reyzl...>]

Dear Haim Kaufman, 

First, I am very glad that you sent your post because you have 
reminded everyone of who is out there.   BTW, three of the five
people you listed have performed at Klezkamp for many, many 
years, two regularly.   Felix Fibish and his wife have also 
performed in videotaped performances over the years, now to be 
found in several archives in the US and Israel.  Pearl Lang, is 
another expert on this, and she has included Eastern European 
Jewish dances in many of the ballets she has created in her long 
career.

As for a dance space in New York City, how about Spoke of the Hub
(748 Union Street, in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn) which 
presents dance programs regularly?   The place is not huge, but you 
can think about it.  The number is 718-857-5158.  There is also PS. 
122 on the Lower East Side and Washington Irving High School near
Union Square.  

Hope this has been helpful.

Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky

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From:  H. Kaufman[SMTP:hkaufman (at) duke(dot)poly(dot)edu]
Sent:  Sunday, May 11, 1997 2:36 AM
To:  World music from a Jewish slant.
Subject:  Re: dancing with klezmer music

Shalom Susan,
There are relatively few experts, films, videos, etc. on Eastern European
Jewish dance. It just so happens that a good part of the 1997 Shorashim
Labor Day Dance Weekend (Aug.30-Sept.1) will be dedicated to such dance.   
In this part of the program I have tentatively scheduled the following:

1. Films/videos of Hassidic Dance presented by Ayalah Goren Kadman who
is in charge of ethnic dance at Jerusalem's Rubin Academy of Music & Dance.

2. A workshop on Eastern European Jewish dance movement by Felix Fibich,
the world's expert in this specialized genre.  

3. Films/videos and a workshop on Hassidic womens dances presented by Jill
Gellerman, a dance ethnographer who has specialized in this type of dance.

4. A workshop on Eastern European Jewish folk dance presented by Michael
Alpert--who brought you "In the Fiddlers House" with Izhak Perlman and
has a Klezmer band, Brave Old World--is an ethno-musicologist who also
collects the dances that Jews did back in Russia and the Ukraine. 

5. Workshops on Israeli folk dances that have been influenced by Eastern
European Jewish dance taught by Ayalah Goren Kadman and Danny Pollock.   

There will also be part of the program dedicated to other Jewish Ethnic
dance including those derived from Yemenite, Kurdish, Bukharian and
Sefardic cultures. 
(Inquiry to those on this list: Is there a Jewish list on the net
dedicated to these non-Eastern European cultures?)

This year Shorashim will be held in New York City--to allow for a maximum
number of participants.  However, we have not been able to get a site yet.
If anyone on this list knows of a large hall with a good wooden dance
floor (preferably sprung) that is reasonable in cost, please let me know
ASAP. We are non-profit and our work is voluntary. 

Hope this information is helpful--will post an update when the program is
in place and we have a site.  

Haim Kaufman

 On Fri, 9 May 1997, Susan
Gertz wrote:

> Hi!
> I hope someone can help me find what i'm looking for. My daughter takes a
> character dance class where students perform folk dances from different
> countries. My daughter's teacher asked me to find a videotape or a dance
> workshop where she (the teacher) could learn some traditional Jewish
> dances. Since I love klezmer music, I thought maybe I could find some
> appropriate Eastern European Jewish dances are traditionally danced with
> klezmer music.
> 
> One person I have communicated with is sending me clips from some old
> yiddish movies that have dancing. Does the movie Fiddler on the Roof have
> any appropriate dancing? Does anyone have any other thoughts?
> 
> Susan Gertz
> Document Production Manager
> Terrific Science Press
> 
> Center for Chemical Education
> 4200 East University blvd.
> Middletown, OH 45042
> 513/727-3389
> gertzse (at) muohio(dot)edu
> 
> 
>