I have been thinking about Jewish dance and movement.

The truth is that when we talk about embodied Judaism, our movement, our bodies, our contexts - mean that we then have to address the physicality of the female body, which historically, Judaism has not done well. That said, we used to dance! We know that ancient Jewish women like Miriam the Prophet danced, drummed and chanted. Our more recent ancestors came from regions with lively folk dance traditions. In the Torah, dance went by different names, but specifically the term “machol.” Dance is part of our prophetic tradition.

I started making dances in the 1990s, when I began my own journey out of ballet and contemporary dance and into what felt like a more authentically personal way to move and to perform.

Some of the most innovative physical and dance-based artists in US have been Jewish women. Anna Halprin, (who turned 100 this year!) the revolutionary director, mover, facilitator, and teacher located in California, danced and taught actively until she was in her late 90s. Ruth Zaporah developed Action Theater in the 70s and 80s, and currently lives in the Southwest. Meredith Monk in NYC began creating immersive performance pieces with lighting, film, movement and experimental vocals in the 70s and 80s. All of these amazing pioneers have been inspirations to me. Starhawk, the Wiccan priestess of Reclaiming, uses movement in all of her rituals. All of these women have in common the use of sensation, pleasure, emotional connection, and what I call “Bubering” or the search for true connection and relationship through their art.

I have also studied Egyptian, Turkish, and Romani folkloric forms, which gave me a deep respect for, and a fascination with rhythm and the cultural contexts from which they developed.

I have studied with men and women who are certified in the Gaga dance language and method of Ohad Naharin. While this dance was created by a man, It has a deep physical sourcing in sensation and pleasure that speaks to me.

I wish that I could see what our ancient dances looked like, what the tunes and rhythms sounded like. I wish that I could feel what it felt like. Sadly, these dances have been lost as male-centered Judaism increased its repression of women over time.

That said, I am not really interested in recreating lost dances, or in cultural borrowing. I am interested in movement research done by us - Jewish women, with our bodies, our life experiences and our contexts. What does it mean to be Jewish and female, to be located here and to be living our lives right now, in these historic times? Let’s explore our dance as it shows up, informed by our own personal and communal histories!

This first series that I am opening to the Shir Tikvah community of women and women-identified people, is called “A Light In The Darkness,” and is an exploration of the time in which the days grow shorter starting in late autumn going through Chanukah and ending at the Winter Solstice.

For more information, visit the training page or send me an email.