Balancing individual expression and community togetherness, Yiddish dance – a folk style rooted in the dances of East European Jews – is as beautiful as it is fun. This workshop will bring Yiddish dance to the squares of Venice. Yiddish dance leader Avia Moore will lead participants in circle and line dances, teaching the fundamentals of steps and gesture, and contextualizing the dance styles. In a time when it often feels as though we have forgotten how to hold hands, Yiddish dance can act as a participatory social action that pushes against national boundaries and isolated individualism.
Avia Moore is in-demand as a teacher and leader of Yiddish dance, known for her joyful and community-focused approach to the form. She has worked extensively as an artist, teacher, and creative producer with festivals, cultural organizations, and independent artistic projects across North America and Europe and is the Artistic Director of KlezKanada, Canada's internationally-acclaimed annual festival of Yiddish arts and culture. Avia is a PhD candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies at York University (Toronto, Canada), where her research explores the ways that heritage and traditional cultural practices are performed on modern stages and in contemporary life.
www.aviamoore.com