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Call to action! Innovative NYC Yiddish Dance program in peril

Pete Rushefsky posted this request to the Jewish-Music list. I have been so jealous of the talent and opportunity in NYC. It matters enough that people who love dancing keep this program alive:

Dear friends, we're looking for a few more students for this important new Yiddish Dance Class … please call the 92nd St. Y’s Harkness Dance Center at 212.415.5552 to register or Pete Rushefsky at 917-326-9659! Here's some more information (we apologize if you receive this message more than once):

The Center for Traditional Music and Dance in partnership with the 92 St Y presents a new Yiddish Dance Class led by Zev Feldman and other master dance leaders. Building on our hugely successful monthly Tantshoyz (dance house) series at the JCC in Manhattan, the 92 St. Y classes will provide intermediate and advanced dancers with a more in-depth opportunity to explore classic Yiddish dances such as the sher, hora, freylekhs and bulgar and coterritorial dances such as moldavaneasca. Special focus will also be given to the expressive power and gestures of solo dance. Classes will feature live klezmer music performed by Jake Shulman-Ment on violin and Pete Rushefsky on tsimbl (hammered dulcimer) as well as other top local klezmorim.

Seven three-hour sessions will be held from 2pm-5pm on the following Sundays: October 21, November 18, January 20, February 17, March 30, April 27, and June 1. Cost for the eight class series is $250 (folks interested in trying out a single class may call the Y for more information). To register or for more information, call the 92nd St. Y’s Harkness Dance Center at 212.415.5552.

Yiddish Dance Project Coming Dates:

  • Next Tantshoyz: Thursday, November 1 and Thursday, Decembe 6 at JCC (76 & Amsterdam)
  • Yiddish Dance Research Symposium: Sunday December 9 at NYU Bronfman Center

Support for the Yiddish Dance Project was provided to the Center for Traditional Music & Dance by the Forward Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts Folk Arts Program, a State agency, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.