Let me begin by sharing the history of how and why I decided to go to this conference. I saw a notice about it posted by Naomi Jackson on the National Dance Education Association bulletin board about a year and a half ago. Shortly after seeing it, I received a copy of the notice from Elizabeth McPherson, who danced in Avodah for seven years and with whom I have kept in regular touch, often meeting on my occasional trips to NYC. She wanted to make sure I saw it and wanted to encourage me to apply. What followed was a series of emails with Naomi, as I wondered what kind of presentations she had in mind, and then later emails with Elizabeth. The conference seemed to be very broad, looking at “Jewishness” and dance from many different angles. Since I have moved on from The Avodah Dance Ensemble and using Jewish themes as motivation for creating choreography or doing workshops, I wanted to share something that felt current to me now. In discussions with Elizabeth the idea of presenting on Helen Tamaris came up. She was a pioneer modern dancer, and Jewish, and most important to me, her work is the thread that influenced both the work that I did with Avodah and the work that I do now. Perfect.
So we came up with the idea that Elizabeth and I would submit together. She would share the history of Helen Tamiris, teaching one or two sections of Helen Tamiris’s Negro Spirituals, (see Blog Honoring Helen Tamiris on how we added Negro Spirituals to Avodah’s repertory) and I would share some ideas from studying composition with Tamiris. I was thrilled and while still feeling a sense of reluctance to attend, I felt very good about the presentation I would be part of. And what a surprise I received.
Elizabeth presenting her paper on Tamiris.
Elizabeth teaching “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” from Tamiris’s Negro Spirituals
Naomi set up a Google Drive where we could all share information from books published related to Jewish dance, choreography by Jewish choreographers or pieces on Jewish themes. Lots of sharing went on as well as discussions on a logo for the conference and individuals’ memories of important influences in their work. I followed and did post a little. My husband and good friend Regina commented to me that every time I mentioned the conference I made a strange face that clearly lacked enthusiasm. I wondered what three days of the conference would mean for me and didn’t have high hopes. And clearly I was not alone in feeling this way, as once there, this questioning came up in quiet conversations. But the thank you’s after the conference, again using our connection through Google Drive, were unanimous in sharing how good and meaningful the conference was and hoping there would be more.
In addition to Elizabeth, my good friend and dance/film collaborator Lynne Wimmer decided to go to. (See Blog on “In Praise” in Pittsburgh and watch the film “Through the Door” which we co-directed in 2016.) Lynne and I would be roommates and we looked forward to catching up on our recent adventures. So I went knowing that at least I would be hanging out with people I really enjoyed. I also decided to drive so that I would have a car to make it easy to get around and do other things in the area should the conference be “boring.” It wasn’t at all boring, but the car was helpful in enabling us to select restaurants that weren’t in easy walking distance.
The overall energy of the conference was a genuine sharing of who we are and our role in dance and how it might relate to our “Jewishness.” From presentations on key historical figures (such as ours about Helen Tamiris), to panels on dance therapy or how one’s choreography related to social justice, participants shared enthusiastically and audience members listened carefully and respectfully. For the majority of the time slots of an hour and fifteen minutes we had to select which one of four presentations we wanted to attend and it was often hard to choose since all looked good.
The opening evening program on Saturday was a selection of dance films curated by Ellen Bromberg, Professor at the University of Utah who teaches Screendance. I loved seeing an early film of Daniel Nagrin and the fun film techniques used in 1953 when the film was made.
Sunday night was a concert curated by Liz Lerman and Wendy Perron. Outstanding moments from the concert were: a piece beautifully performed by college-age Maggie Waller; Send Off performed by Jesse Zarrit to a recorded text of Hanoch Levin focused on the Akedah (the binding of Isaac) from Issac’s point of view; and The Return of Lot’s Wife by Sara Pearson in which Lot’s wife finally confronts God in her 1950’s Brooklyn kitchen. All pieces were beautifully danced and the last two I mentioned had a wonderful sense of humor to them.
A photograph from Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash that I co-authored with Rabbi Susan Freeman in 1990 was included in the Exhibition of “Reimagining Communities Through Dance” curated by Judith Brin Ingber and Naomi Jackson.
From Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash. Rabbi Susan Freeman working with students from Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. Photo by Tom Brazil
I found the panel on Dance Therapy to have a lot of historical information and loved the presentations by two of the women, Miriam Berger and Joanna Harris. An intense panel “Exploring the Complex Relations Between Jews and non-Jewish Arabs through Dance” followed and stirred some interesting reflections on whether dance events can help build relationships.
Perhaps the most meaningful moments came the last day and were both experiential movement moments. One was leading the experiential part of our presentation on Helen Tamiris. Tamiris’s composition class focused on the use of gesture to build movement. I chose to share a way I use this idea with non-dancers. I asked each of the 15 participants to say one or two words of how they felt at the moment and then we went around with each sharing a gesture that fit their word. It was an intergenerational group all with a strong dance background and as we built a phrase of our 15 gestures a warmth and community developed.
Later that day I attended a workshop by Victoria Marks and Hannah Schwadron called “Dancing Inter-connections.” Again it was an intergenerational experience with over 30 participants. One improvisation featured us finding the way to move in the space between us. The weaving was fun to do and we had to be inventive to find the space between us. The ending improvisation focused on the word “lingering” in movement interactions. That was particularly rich and beautiful. In the feedback afterwards one of the young college-age dancers mentioned how meaningful it was to dance with the older generation. How she felt nurtured and empowered. And how wonderful that felt, to hear it come from a young woman.
As I reflect back on the experience I am of course very glad to have gone. I loved the many new and renewed connections. And I wonder whether it was the Jewishness or the dance that so resonated for me, or the combination. I am most grateful to Naomi Jackson for her leadership in maintaining an openness and inclusiveness within the intent of the conference. Once again I am reminded of the important spiritual connection for me in dance, both by moving, myself, and being inspired by watching dance.
Closing ceremony dance. Photo by Tim Trumble