About Judith

Judith combines a rare articulate sensibility in dance and in writing, specializing in Jewish dance. On this site you can see photos and videos of her choreography and performance, and learn about her important dance writing.
She grew up in Minneapolis and began her dance training with Lillian Vail. Her beloved ballet teachers were Lorand and Anna Andahazy, de Basil Ballet Russe dancers who settled in Minnesota. With them she had her first experience performing in their Ballet Borealis on the famed Northrop stage at the University of MN in "Scheherazade" accompanied by Antol Dorati conducting the Minneapolis Symphony.

Judith, 4th from right, with her classmates at Andahazy.

To broaden her education she moved to New York where she studied dance (and earned her bachelor's degree) at Sarah Lawrence College. There she was a student of the famed dance composition teacher Bessie Schönberg. In New York she also studied at the Martha Graham Studio, with Margy Jenkins and at the Merce Cunningham Studio, performed with Meredith Monk and Anne Wilson, taught children with Marilyn Wood at Downtown Community School and worked as the editorial assistant at Dance Magazine for Lydia Joel and Doris Hering. She was their editorial assistant from 1967-1969.

From Judith's time at Sarah Lawrence College.

She married Jerome Ingber and they lived in Israel from 1972-1977. During that time she taught apprentices of the two modern dance companies at the Batsheva Bat Dor Dance Society and choreographed a program for young audiences for the Batsheva Dance Company. The program was filmed for Israeli television and ran often in the '70s. Some of the company dancers in her program included Laurie Freedman and Zvi Gutheiner. Judith also served as the assistant to the founder/director of Inbal Dance Theatre, Sara Levi-Tanai. Judith co-founded the first Israeli dance magazine, the Israel Dance Annual with Giora Manor. She continues to return often to Israel to research, lecture and teach.

Judith in the Batsheva Dance Co. studio after company class, and before her rehearsal creating the program for young audiences about how to watch dance.

One of the many interviews with Moshiko HaLevy, whose story appears in Seeing Israeli and Jewish Dance.

Judith (right) with Batsheva dancer Gabi Barr.

When she and Jerome returned to Minneapolis, Judith was the first director of the dance program of the University of Minnesota's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, taught dance history for twenty years there and guests there and in the University's School of Journalism. She frequently teaches when on tour with her book or dance programs including several summers in England at Machol Europa (see United Kingdom Israeli Dance Institute), twice for Jacek Luminsky's international dance festival in Bytom, Poland, and often in Israel (in December 2011 she taught at the Western Galilee College theatre program in Akko, at the international year abroad program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at Orot College for women in their dance program). She also enjoys leading groups in traditional dances for b'nai mitzvoth parties (bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah) and wedding celebrations.

Judith enjoys leading dances for Jewish celebrations.
Photo by Madeline Burton.

She has continued her ballet training with Bonnie Mathis and Lirena Branitsky and takes company class with the James Sewell Ballet, Alexander Technique with Elizabeth Garren, Pilates (she began under the renowned Carola Trier in New York and especially appreciates studying with Susan Salk and Ney Forseca when in California). She continues her yoga practice with Kevin Kortan. She also continues to choreograph, collaborate with her longtime arts partner David Harris and other artists, and create new programming.

To see Judith's solo "Stepping into Heaven" (release date, Jan. 25, 2010, Runtime 4:02). Filmmaker Peikin said, "I met with Ingber during a run-through of her piece. Longtime local choreographer Judith Brin Ingber has made some of her most poignant work in collaboration with artists from other disciplines. (big cut here) "Stepping into Heaven" was inspired by a series of paintings by Georgette Sosin. 3-Minute Egg met with Judith during a run-through of the piece.

Judith wins Special Citation Sage Award!
StarTribune Article

Writings mentioning Judith include:
An article by Jennifer Kaplan in the magazine ""Dance Studio Life," January, 2011.

"An All-Weather Scene, Dance is Thrilling in Minneapolis and St. Paul" by Linda Shapiro, in Dance Magazine, January 2012, p 66-72.

Watch Judith discuss the growth of dance in Minnesota from the 1950s to today in Minnesota Playlist.

An article about Merce Cunningham and the new collection at Walker Art Center.

"Demystifying Dance Writing": Judith returned to teach at the University of MN's School of Journalism in the fall semester, 2009. Download the article (PDF). Credit for reproduction given by Dan Sullivan.

Lisa Traiger's article "From Zero to 4,678 in 80 Short Years; The Surprising History Of Israeli Folk Dancing," in the The Forward newspaper.

Dance Magazine recognized Judith Brin Ingber as a working Jewish choreographer in their April 2006 feature article "Yesterday and Tomorrow: Jewish Choreographers Grapple with Their Heritage." Author Shayna Samuels wrote about Judith's dance work "The Argument" . A photo by Paul Virtuccio is also printed in the article. See the article (JPG file).

For inquiries about solo shows, full-length Voices of Sepharad performances, illustrated dance talks, her book talk and interactive dance workshops, email Judith.