Re: Cleveland Workman's Circle Bendix workshop: Fun!

[Lionel Mrocki <amrocks...>]

Lori (and Yakov), sounds great (and I'm not a dancer!).

Re the VHS tapes;  I'm sure I can get support to get the Kadimah (yiddish 
library) in Melbourne to purchase one.  This is SO needed If we're ever to 
revive yiddish dance here.  I'm also interested in
a copy of the text descriptions.

If the VHS can be recorded (for us) in PAL format, (or even digital) it would 
be a vunderbarer zakh.  Otherwise, we'll convert from NTSC for local use.

Lori Cahan-Simon wrote:

> Yakov, I'm so glad you enjoyed the day and you're welcome for the ride.
>
> We danced from 9:30 am to about 3pm.  I expect my legs will tell me
> about it tomorrow!  I had so much fun.  I even convinced my husband to
> dance the bulgar with us because we needed a fourth in our group.  Now
> that's an accomplishment.  Despite his protestations before joining us,
> he had a good time.
>
> During the morning session we must have had around 30 people dancing,
> including 13 children, and about 10 observers.  In the afternoon the
> kids left and we had a dozen participants.
>
> Yakov, the one you can't remember the name to was the Honga, I think.
>  And the "chusidl-type dance" you mention was indeed the khusidl.  Oh,
> and then there was the Kolomeyke, which was a lot of jumping around,
> comparatively.  We also did the Shiffers tants, which is one of my
> favorites.  For those who have never seen it, the "yidish hora" is a
> completely different dance than the Israeli version.
> As social dances, one of the enjoyable aspects is the simplicity, in
> that you could hold a conversation with your neighbor as you dance.  I
> could see it now..."Nu, Sheyndl, your son, Shmerl, is now bar mitsve and
> starting to learn a trade.  Now, my daughter, Blime, is a gem, and can
> she cook!"  "That's right, Feyge, you hardly even notice her limp
> anymore, and since the doctor used the leeches on her that condition
> seems to have cleared up..."
>
> As to the Terkisher, Helen, Oy! I don't know if any further description
> will help and I think the tape ran out before then, unfortunately.  It
> was fun, with your feet and legs all twisty to the sexy music.  There
> were a number of variations on the step, but I was busy doing something
> administrative at the time, so I missed most of that dance.  :-(  But,
> it was as you describe.
>
> By the way.  We will be editing the tapes and putting in titles of
> dances and music, so we may be able to make a few copies available on
> VHS for those who would like one.  I imagine it will be about 3 hours of
> tape.
>
> We will have more workshops to come.  The next one with Erik should be
> June or July, owing to his busy schedule.  We were talking about this
> summer's Yiddish Concert in the Park in Cleveland, which will be July
> 21st, and saying that what has been missing is the dancing.  People want
> to dance, but again, don't know how.  The most you ever see is the line
> snaking around the park.  We hope to go with our core/corps of dancers
> and attempt to lead "impromptu" dances during the concert.  I'm looking
> forward to that.  The Workmen's Circle Klezmer Orchestra always does a
> pre-concert show.  That may be the perfect time to present the dances.
>  What fun!
>
> A FREYLEKHN PURIM, ALEMEN!
>
> Lorele
>
> Helen Winkler wrote:
>
> >What kind of dance did he teach to the Terkisher?  I have a written
> >description of one that I'm having trouble understanding.  It has a walking
> >section in a syrtos rhythm, and then some sort of rocking movement in and
> >out of the circle but I can't quite visualize it from the written
> >description.  Did Erik teach anything like this?
> >Helen
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Yakov Chodosh" <ync8 (at) softhome(dot)net>
> >To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> >Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 5:41 PM
> >Subject: Cleveland Workman's Circle Bendix workshop: Fun!
> >
> >
> >
> >Hey dudes and dudettes and chevrei.
> >I went to Cleveland today for the Eric Bendix klezmer dance workshop, and it
> >was FUN! We learned the hora, chusidl, terkisher, a bulgar square dance, and
> >another chusidl-type dance that i don't remember the name of. Also another
> >one that was like "step (stomp) step (stomp) step step step step" in a line.
> >Eric was a great teacher and he had some great cds. A bunch of kids were
> >there for the first part and they really seemed to be getting into it. Very
> >cool. Oyeah he also had a big packet of handouts with detailed descriptions
> >of each dance and a big story. Nice. Anyone who can go to the next one or
> >learn from Eric somewheres else totally should. Next time there might be a
> >live band (i.e. my band, perhaps, if we can find a ride)
> >
> >Also I got Lori's CD and we listened to it in the car on the way back. Verry
> >nice. I only listened to it once so far though so i won't talk more
> >
> >That workmen's circle place is a real trip... there was this like five year
> >old kid wandering around the whole time singing yiddish songs... crazy
> >
> >btw and lori thanks for finding me the ride. (from pittsburgh.)
> >
> >-yakov
> >a happy and drunken purim to everyone!
> >
>
> --
> Lori's new CD, Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me; Vol.1: Passover, is 
> available! All Yiddish, all Passover! Great music, fun songs, famous 
> musicians! Only $15 & postage. Email me for more info.
>

--
Regards,

Lionel Mrocki and Karen Amos

"The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck is probably the day
 they start making vacuum cleaners." -Ernst Jan Plugge

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