Re: Dance of Death

[Beverly Woods <tradmusic...>]

Reading this description and considering Lori's comment, I can't help but be
reminded of a colorful description I was treated to a couple of weeks ago by
a Scottish folklorist (Alistair Brown) of traditional British Isles mummers'
plays, also involving a battle and mock death. If I recall correctly,
resurrection and the bottle were closely associated there as well.

Beverly Woods

----------
>From: klezmer (at) yiddishmusic(dot)com
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Re:  Dance of Death
>Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2002, 9:43 AM
>

> If I recall correctly, one of the two men was Michael Wex.
>
>>
>>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
>

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