Gastvortrag & Workshop
Dancing Yiddish

Mit Avia Moore

Gastvortrag

Dynamic Tensions: An Overview of Yiddish Dance Repertoire, Research, and Pedagogy

Just as the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe spoke many other languages, including the languages of the non-Jewish communities around them, likewise their movement languages were not isolated or singular. Yiddish dance includes dances that are uniquely Jewish in form, dances that were adapted to Jewish contexts from neighbouring cultures, and popular “cosmopolitan” social dances of the day. This talk will introduce Yiddish dance through the lenses of repertoire, research, and pedagogy. Drawing upon two decades of studying, leading, and teaching Yiddish dance around the world, Avia Moore will situate Yiddish dance within the context of klezmer and Yiddish revitalization, illustrating the necessity of studying the dances as an intrinsic element of the cultural landscape. Along the way, Avia will outline the defining elements of the repertoire and style, discuss the challenges of archival and ethnographic research in the discipline, and share insights into her pedagogical approach to the cultural form.

Workshop

Dancing Yiddish

What makes our Yiddish dancing more Yiddish? From circle dances to square dances, the Yiddish dance repertoire is rich and varied. While repertoire is an important element of the form, the heart of Yiddish dance lies in the style we bring to the steps and figures and in the dynamic interplay between the group and the individual. In this workshop, we will learn core Yiddish dances with a focus on posture, attitude, and gesture, bringing intention and energy to our dancing.

Avia Moore
An internationally-acclaimed teacher of Yiddish dance, Avia Moore leads Yiddish dance workshops for festivals and events around the world, coaches emerging dance leaders, and works as a consultant for choreographers, directors, and teachers seeking to engage with Yiddish movement. Avia Moore is the Artistic Director of KlezKanada and has worked extensively as a creative producer with festivals and cultural organizations across North America as well as on individual artistic projects in North America and Europe. Avia holds a PhD in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies from York University. Her research examines how the postvernacularity of the contemporary Yiddish cultural scene creates the space for a subjective, relative, and contingent relationship with Yiddish cultural practices, and reflects on the importance of integrating critical thinking tools into the pedagogy and transmission of cultural practice.

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