Re: klezmer dancing

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

Josh Horowitz  wrote:

>Hi Lori,
>
>The Serbs you mention were probably dancing an Oro din Krajina. But what
>were they doing in a Croatian bar in the first place? Josh
>
> a group of Serbs came into the Croatian bar where Maxwell
>> Street was playing.  We were already packing up, but the Serbs had come to
>> dance, and one of them handed us a $20 bill and demanded: Play Hava Nagila!
>> As we began to play, they started twirling in a circle, arm over arm, all
>> legs moving together, as synchonized as a clock, a ballet, or a chorus line,
>> a dance fully of power and beauty.  It brought tears to my eyes as I
>> realized: "THAT'S how it's supposed to look!"  Sigh....

I'd guess that's how Serbs are supposed to look when they're dancing...but
I wonder how uniform Jewish dancing ever was. You know the saying about 3
Jews, 4 opinions. I've thought that that's why we have the custom of
"shining," so there is a formal place for individual interpretation and
exhibition within group dancing.

Peggy Davis
Wholesale Klezmer Band


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