Re: klezmer dancing

[Joe Kurland & Peggy Davis <ganeydn...>]

Regarding traditional styles of dancing:

I just spent a couple of weeks in Minneapolis and went with my father to my
cousin's for a gathering of friends. It consisted mainly of watching soccer
on tv and talking. A delightful 3-year-old girl, whose parents are from
Russia, showed interest in some musical instruments, and we started singing
Tumbalalaika. Seeing her response, we urged my father to go to the piano
and play some Yiddish and Russian songs. One thing led to another, and we
started dancing in a circle and soon everyone was drawn in. That little
girl went right into the middle of the circle to "shine" and used such a
traditional vocabulary of Yiddish dance gestures! I was awed.

Everyone there couldn't stop talking about how wonderful this experience
was. It was such a reminder that this was, could and should be a regular
part of life, not just at simkhes. Before TV and other media, this was how
communities were entertained. It gives people such a sense of joy and
connection. I think one way to influence what happens at simkhes is to find
ways to familiarize people with this music and dancing long before they
have to make a choice about music at their particular simkhe, so that it
becomes a natural choice. This is one reason why our band (The Wholesale
Klezmer Band) makes a point of performing at schools and synagogues to
teach people about the music and dance.

We performed recently at an event for a new congregation.After a workshop
on traditional dancing, there were many adults 35-75 dancing away that
evening, and I was aware of how wonderful it was for the kids to have those
role models. I certainly didn't have that as a child. The combination of
loss of people and culture due to the holocaust and assimilation has left
quite a gap in our cultural transmission. So we all do what we can to fill
that gap.

Peggy Davis


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