Re: origin of the sher

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

In the version that Judy Bresler taught at KlezKanada, one did,
indeed, swing the opposite couple's partner of the opposite sex
during part of the sher that we learned, similar to (conceptually,
at least) a contradance square.

ari

At 08:22 PM 9/14/99 -0700, you wrote:
>
>In Dvora Lapson's version of the Sher, it is done the way Josl says:
>a man and a woman exchange places resulting in 2 men and 2 women as new 
>partners.  They turn with their new partner and then return to their 
>original (the spouse) and turn again.  This process is repeated with the 
>remaining 2  couples.  There is no touching of anyone of the opposite sex 
>other than the spouse.
>Helen
>
>>From: bloom (at) gis(dot)net (Bloom)
>>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>Subject: Re: origin of the sher
>>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 23:02:48 -0400 (EDT)
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>>In the versions of the Sher that I know, you give two hands to your
>>opposite and do a two hand turn, so you would still be touching someone of
>>the opposite sex.
>>
>>How does your version of the Sher go?
>>
>>Jacob Bloom
>>
>> >Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 13:19:05 -0400
>> >To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>> >From: Joe Kurland <ganeydn (at) crocker(dot)com>
>> >Subject: Re: origin of the sher
>> >
>> >What I learned (sorry I don't have an authoritative source for this
>> >information) is that the Sher was developed by rabbis as a kosher
>> >alternative to popular square dances.  Whereas square dances involve a 
>>lot
>> >of dancing with people of the opposite sex who are not your partner, the
>> >sher is so arranged that when married couples dance it, each person 
>>dances
>> >and touches hands only with his or her spouse, or with people of the same
>> >sex.  This is accomplished by having head couples have man on left and
>> >woman on right and while side couples have man on right and woman on the
>> >left.  Thus, your corner is always the same sex as you.  While the very
>> >religious might find even this unacceptably immodest, the practical 
>>rabbis
>> >who wanted to make an accomodation to modernity and popular culture and
>> >keep their flock in a Jewish social scene invented a popular and enduring
>> >diversion.
>>
>>
>>
>
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