Re: Zev Feldman's Yiddish dance weekend

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

Hi Deena,

I'm putting up a few pictures from the weekend. Can I include this writeup
among the texts linked to the page?

ari


At 06:13 PM 10/14/2002 -0400, you wrote: 
>
> Have already heard that Ari posted something to the list re. the above but am
> writing before I've read it (can't read it anyway since it didn't arrive
> yet!). 
>
> In a comfortable, pretty, and soothing roundish room with a custom built
> dance floor, transpired 2+ days of about 20 people learning and/or improving
> their Yiddish dance skills.  Zev Feldman was unanimously deemed a fantastic
> teacher.  We learned the various zhok (Romanian hora), honga, and bulgar
> steps and variations - and the historical context (and definition!) of each
> dance.  Zev, in addition to his talents in the dancing and teaching
> departments shared his ethnomusicological expertise as it related to the
> dance of the region he was teaching us - Southern Bessarabia.  His father
> grew up there and Zev, in the 1960s saw the Yiddish dance at events sponsored
> by landsmenshaftn in New York City and at simkhes.) 
>
> The instruction was accompanied by live music from a kapelye ably led by list
> member Seth Austen comprised of tsimbl (Beverly Woods), mandolin/mandocello
> (Jim Dalton) mandolin/mandola/guitar/fidl (Austen) and clarinet.  The band
> also was provided pointers by Zev, and if you stayed late enough, you heard
> Zev playing Beverly's 2 tsimblim and a santori - an added bonus! 
>
> Dancers included makhers the Yiddish dance and Jewish music worlds (list
> members  Helen Winkler (all the way from Calgary!) Jacob Bloom - both of whom
> teach Yiddish dance in their neck of the woods, as well as recently married
> Ari Davidow and Judy Pinnolis.  It was a treat to be with so many lovers of
> the music and dance in such an intimate setting. 
>
> The hostess of the event, Jenny Deupree, was most generous, gracious, and
> receptive.  Neskaya, the dance center which Jenny runs and at whose building
> the event was held, is nestled in the White Mountains and, this being the
> peak of the leaf-peeking season, we were treated to a breathtaking view of
> mountains aflame in fall colors as we circled around the room.  I even got my
> first ever view of a black bear (a yearling) scampering across a nearby road
> during a morning walk. 
>
> After the event was over, Beverly (who invited Zev in the first place!),
> Jenny, and Zev talked about the possibility of another weekend at Neskaya,
> perhaps in September - so keep your eyes on this list for details and another
> extraordinary opportunity to learn more about Yiddish culture. 
>
> Dena Ressler 



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