Re: sherele

[H. Kaufman <hkaufman...>]

Sher and Sherele are two different dances, but it is even more complicated
than that -- there are likely different versions of each -- although all
versions I have danced have the four couple formation in common. This may
be comparable to square dance formations having four couples but being
danced to different tunes with different choreographies. 

Although there is evidence of many different dances to the "Russian Sher",
the one popularized in the United States (and the one I used to teach) was
apparently introduced by Dvora Lapson, probably in the 1930's after her
visit to Eastern Europe to collect dance material (at least that is what I
understood from my interview with her several years ago).  The version of
the Russian Sher danced in Israel was apparently introduced by a Russian
choreographer in the 1940's and was presented on stage together with the
Sherele, a dance arranged by Gurit Kadman (nee Gert Kaufman), the "mother"
of the Israeli folk dance movement. It seems that both dances were part of
the Israeli folk dance repertoire for a time.  In any case, the dances
were performed frequently in Israel during the early years of the State
and most recently here in New York by the Rikuday Dor Rishon dancers in an
evening of dance we sponsored that included dance instruction by Michael
Alpert to live Klezmer music. Perhaps the person that knows most about
these dances in Israel is Ayalah Goren-Kadman (Gurit's daughter) and I am
sending a bcc to her of this response. Ayalah will also be giving a dance
workshop this weekend in New York and the information is included below.

Haim Kaufman
Rikuday Dor Rishon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Feb. 13 @ 7pm
Workshop with guest teacher, Ayalah Goren-Kadman from the Rubin Academy
for Music and Dance in Jerusalem.  Ayalah is responsible for ethnic
dance at the Rubin academy, Israel's most prestigious school for music
and dance.  This will be Ayalah's only workshop during her brief visit to
New York. Contribution: $10  Bridge for Dance, 2726 Broadway @ 104th Street
For information contact: 212-620-0535
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 11 Feb 2000, Helen Winkler wrote:

> someone just sent me a set of notes and music for "sherele" written by Gert 
> Kaufman in 1946 for the Zionist organisation Youth Department, Tel-Aviv.  It 
> is different than the other sher versions I've seen.  It does not thread the 
> needle.  Also has some different figures like ladies' star, men's star, 
> grand chain and no shining.  It seems very structured compared to the 
> versions taught more recently.  This is the Israeli take on the sher.
> 
> Another version of sherele can be found in Nathan Vizonsky's Jewish Folk 
> Dances 1942 American-Hebrew Theatrical League, Chicago, Illinois.  This 
> version is very simple compared to others I've seen.  Also omits shining and 
> threading the needle.
> 
> Helen
> 
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Itzik Gottesman <itzik (at) mail(dot)utexas(dot)edu>
> Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Subject: sherele
> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 09:46:21 -0600
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> 
> The sher and the sherele are the same dance? My understanding was that the
> sherele, though stemming from the sher, had entered the American folk dance
> repertoire decades ago in a very specific form. I don't know its history in
> Eastern Europe. The older sher,the one described by Joshua, on the other
> hand, as taught at Klezkamp, in any case, is based on field research of the
> 1980s of Michael Alpert, Lee Ellen Friedland, and  others. There are/were
> many regional variants which have yet to be documented. Dance experts? -
> Itzik
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------------------------
> Dr. Itzik Nakhmen Gottesman
> Assistant Professor, Yiddish Language and Culture
> Department of Germanic Studies
> University of Texas at Austin
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