Re: Dance of Death

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

> also, what is the
> ostensible purpose?

I would think shtick- the great Ashkenazic tradition of entertaining the
bride and groom at a traditional wedding.

                                          EK


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ethan Minovitz" <eminovitz (at) canoemail(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: Dance of Death


> Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 07:08:55 -0400
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-
> music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>  From: klezmer (at) yiddishmusic(dot)com
> Subject: Re: dance of death
>
> I'm familiar with the T'khiyes-Hameysim
> Tants/Dance of Resurrection -  but I have never
> seen one danced.  My understanding is that two
> men fight, one "accidentally" kills the other,
> but with the help of bronfn, the killee is
> revived.  All in the context of the khasene,
> like the broyges tants.
>
> Would be interested to read an eye-witness
> report (and which community it took place in,
> when, what city, etc.) - and also, what is the
> ostensible purpose?
>
> Dena
>
> ________________________________________
>
>
> I (and hundreds of others!) saw the dance in
> late December 1997 shortly after a wedding held
> as part of the 13th annual KlezKamp at the
> Paramount Hotel in Parksville (Sullivan County),
> NY. Yes, a genuine wedding was held there, and
> all the KlezKamp participants were invited to
> the ceremony and subsequent celebration,
> complete, of course, with all-star klezmer
> musicians.
>
> At the time, I thought it was simply clever
> improvisation, not a traditional dance!
>
> Lots of laughter and cheering came from the
> audience as these two guys -- I never did get
> their names -- threw air punches at each other
> and one went "down for the count." No words were
> exchanged between the two, just lots of action.
>
> But the cheering was almost deafening when
> the "winner" compassionately proferred a bottle
> to the "loser's" mouth, whereupon the victim was
> instantly resuscitated...and how! *Both* guys
> started dancing something resembling the
> kazatske.
>
> As I recall, there was nothing in the bottle,
> but the two were acting as if something were.
>
> Face it:  Some of us are like babies. We stop
> crying when we're handed a bottle.
>
>
> Happy Fourth of July from your northern
> neighbors!
>
>
> Ethan Minovitz
> Vancouver, British Columbia
>
> Sign up today for your Free E-mail at: http://www.canoe.ca/CanoeMail
>
>
>

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