Upcoming
Performances and Projects
Recent Performances, Projects, and Presentations
Recent Performances, Projects, and Presentations “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) *** Watch Judith discuss the growth of dance in Minnesota from the 1950s to today, in July's Minnesota Playlist. ***
Longtime local choreographer Judith Brin Ingber has made some of her most poignant work in collaboration with artists from other disciplines. She and composer Alex Lubet are behind People of the Book, an evening of performance and visual art also featuring work from Stuart Pimsler and Hmong spoken word duo Gobrosis. Ingber's artistic contribution is a new solo piece, Stepping into Heaven, inspired by a series of paintings by Georgette Sosin. 3-Minute Egg met with Ingber during a run-through of her piece. Two dance works by Judith were part of “People of the Book” presented by the Sabes Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis, January, 2010. ***
Judith’s choreography was performed by dancer Colette Illarde [along with pieces by musicians Alex Lubet, Jim Miller, spoken Hmong word artists and fellow choreographer/performer Stuart Pimsler.] Judith is pictured here in "Stepping Into Heaven," with painter Georgette Sosin's instillation "Kaddish" as backdrop. *** Judith performed, lectured and taught during “Klezmerquerque” over Presidents Day Weekend, Feb. 12-15, 2009” in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the 7th Southwest annual Klezmer music and dance festival—which included a weekend of concerts, classes and workshops with the Strauss/Warschauer Klezmer Duo. ‘Klezmer,’ a term used for both the music and dance of the Jewish people of Eastern Europe is currently enjoying a revival in the world music scene as well as in popular music and culture. Judith’s workshops included dances from the Eastern European Jewish wedding repertoire such as Rebbe Elimelech tanz and Kayzad merakdim. The Saturday evening concert in Albuquerque included Judith’s dance “The Argument,” a modern twist about the matriarch Sara arguing with Abraham about sacrificing their son Isaac. The dance was accompanied by the chanting of the classic biblical story by Brin Ingber’s sister Rabbi Deborah Brin, who is also the rabbi of Congregation Nahalat Shalom. Judith’s dance “Roles Not Taken” was also on the program. She also presented "Why Jews Aren't Just People of the Book" with rare and historic dance photos and music for Jewish dance in far-flung communities through the ages. Judith also performed the program at Dreamland Arts in St. Paul, MN in February. .*** Judith presented a Free afternoon show on Sat, Feb 7 at 4:00 p.m., Roles Not Taken, at Dreamland Arts, 677 Hamline Ave No., St. Paul, MN Dancer and choreographer Judith Brin Ingber presented two short performances and an illustrated presentation on Jewish dance. Roles Not Taken is a humorous, light-hearted look at musical comedy, ballet and Jewish identity. The Argument, based on the biblical matriarch Sarah, is a modern view of a classic story. The dances were followed by a powerpoint presentation about Jewish dance in communities throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East from the 14th century until today. 60 minutes. *** Judith joined the James Sewell Ballet Company (JSBC) as the sausage seller in Sally Rousse’s ode to the Ballet Russses in Rousse’s fresh choreography in her new version of “Petrouchka” for the winter JSBC season at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis, MN. *** Judith premiered two new dance solos in Minneapolis in the autumn of 2008: * "Roles Not Taken," was commissioned for the 9 x 22 Dance Lab at Bryant Lake Bowl. This new solo was a collaboration with videographer Will Fehlow incorporating a humorous look at TV, musicals, classic ballet and issues of Jewish identity. *"Stepping into Heaven," was commissioned by the Rimon Artist Salon Series at the Basicilica of St. Mary's for an interfaith dialogue between Catholics and Jews. Judith's new work was accompanied by Jim Miller's original live flute music. It was inspired by “Meditations on the Aramaic Lord’s Prayer, Kaddish, and Other Work,” an art installation of Georgette Sosin. Judith’s solo took place in front of Sosin’s oils, hung in the Basilica gallery performance space. The prestigious Spertus Museum on Michigan Ave. in Chicago presented Judith in her new multimedia lecture for the museum’s new building. Called “A Brief History of Jewish Dance” Judith also danced and gave a short class on Jewish wedding dances on January 20, 2008 at as part of the Solomon Goldman Lecture Series. *** *** KlezKamp 2007: Meeting with Our Masters *** Identity Peddlers and the Influence of Gertrud Kraus Brin Ingber's paper, “Identity Peddlers and the Influence of Gertrud Kraus,” was presented at the international Congress on Research in Dance 2007 conference called Choreographies of Migration in New York City at Barnard College, November 8-11, 2007
(For more information, go to: www.cordance.org)
Download the presentation (PDF format) View a slideshow that accompanies “Identity Peddlers and the Influence of Gertrud Kraus” See
a video of Judith presenting Identity Peddlers and the Influence
of Gertrud Kraus *** Judith and the Middle East Civic Education Project Judith performed on July 29, 2008 with composer/guitarist Alex Lubet on as part of an unusual concert at Sundin Music Hall on the Hamline University Campus, Saint Paul, MN. The concert was the final activity of a remarkable two week residency for educators. Every summer they come together from Israel, Jordan and Lebanon to work on curricula of tolerance for many grade levels as part of the Hamline University Middle East Civic Education Project. Inspired by the art work and life of the Holocaust survivor Hannelore Baron, Judith and Alex's collaboration shows the effects of intolerance. The backdrop for this work is enlargements of Baron's paintings made from torn fabric remnants painted over and stitched together like bizarre flags and banners representing fractured and false nationalism. Judith also performed in Voices of Sepharad's "Peace in the House" for the Middle East Civic Education Project in the summer of 2007 to encourage the remarkable group of educators to help them to bring hope to the volatile region through their brave classroom plans and outreach. *** Machol Europa Judith taught for the third time at the Machol Europa 30 in the summer of 2007 at the remarkable Israeli dance festival in England. She offered special lectures on the founders of Israeli folk dance with new films she had made on her recent trip to Israel where she interviewed the still active 97 year old Yardena Cohen; and Yonaton Karmon, folk dance creator and founder of the Karmiel Festival; as well as dance leaders and creators Yoav Ashriel and Moshiko Ha-Levi. See www.idi.org.uk. *** Dance Magazine 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" and included other information about her. A photo by Paul Virtuccio is also printed in the article. See the article (.JPG file) *** PEACE IN THE HOUSE
Judith performed with five other dancers and six musicians in Voices of Sepharad's theater, music and dance evening portraying the rich relationship of neighborliness between Sephardic Jews and Arabs during the last several hundred years. Seen at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis, the Phipps Center in Hudson, Wisconsin and at Hamline University in St. Paul, there were many enthusiastic audiences for this big production. *** From the Horse's Mouth, Magical Tales about Real Dancers
Judith performed Oct 27-30, 2005 at the Southern Theater in the program "From the Horse's Mouth, Magical Tales about Real Dancers," which she co-produced with the Southern. "From the Horse's Mouth, Magical Tales about Real Dancers," is a dance/theater celebration of the exciting diversity--and rich history--of dance in Minnnesota. Through stories spoken from the stage along with the dancing, Horse's Mouth puts the spotlight on the entire spectrum of dance in this region, with dancers performing ballet, hip-hop, modern dance, percussive/tap dance and a variety of ethnic forms telling the story of who we are and how artistic expression builds community (Judith is in the black gown, Sally Rousse wearing pointe shoes, James Sewell in shorts, next to tall Patrick Scully in the seersucker suit.)
*** PEACE IN THE HOUSE dClick
to Enlarge On Saturday, August 6, 2005, Judith danced with Voices of Sepharad, at the Bayfront Festival Park on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, MN. Also, see www.voicesofsepharad.com. *** On Sunday, July 17,
Judith performed at the West Bloomfield (Michigan) Jewish Community Center. She
also conducted workshops for dancers. Read about her visit to *** Tales and Controversies Click
to Enlarge Tales and Controversies:
An Evening of Sephardic Music & Dance with
Judith Brin Ingber - dancer, choreographer and storyteller *** The Argument Click
to Enlarge Judith performed her solo dance concert at the Daila Cultural Center in Jerusalem on January 17, 2005. Her solos "Hagar's Midrash," "The Argument," and "The Comeback Performance of Bari Simon" were enjoyed by Daila's diverse audience of Arabic and Hebrew speaking young people, as well as arts patrons and political activists from a broad Israeli spectrum. Judith participated in the popular Minneapolis cabaret "9 x 22 - A Dance Lab" on October 27, 2004 at the Bryant Lake Bowl. The evening is curated by Laurie Van Wieren, who chose Judith's piece "The Argument" for inclusion in the program. *** Jewish Life in America Saturday, November 20th, 2004, Brin Ingber presented a special lecture in conjunction with Paul Taylor's premiere at the University of Washington in Seattle, celebrating 350 years of Jewish Life in America. Her lecture was sponsored by Nextbook and the University of Washington World Dance Series. For further information, reach Michele Yanow at myanow@nextbook.org. *** Hannelore A performance with composer Alex Lubet, Judith presented a new performance piece inspired by the work of painter Hannelore Baron at the International Society for Disability Studies Bethesda, Maryland June, 2003 *** Lady Capulet Brin Ingber performed the role of Lady Capulet in Romeo and dJuliet on Valentine's Day, 2003. http://www.metroballet.org *** Festival of One Woman Shows She also participated in the CIA (Center for Independent Artists) Festival of One Woman Shows in Minneapolis Feb. 21 and 22, 2004 with story teller Carla Vogel, the CIA theater called "The Best Theater for New Work," by City Pages of the Twin Cities, 4137 Bloomington ave. So., Mpls., dwww.c4ia.org. *** THIRST! Judith's evening called THRIST! was presented at the Southern Theater. THIRST!
it was announced in the In "Thirst!," we see the ancient Middle Eastern tale
of Judith, a woman spurred into action against powerful, malevolent rulers, paralleling
today's threaters to security. Armies surround Judith's paralyzed city and drive
her to surprising solutions. Other Premieres
A reprise of "These Things I Remember" showed how heirlooms tarnish in the face of exile and ignorance, starting with the Inquisition period in Spain, then moving to Morocco, Turkey, Greece during the Nazi period and today.
The musicians of Voices of Sepharad with David Harris as starring
vocalist accompanied both "These Things I Remember" and "Hagar's
Midrash, A Story."For further information you can reach Brin Ingber by email at judith@jbriningber.com
or by phone at 952-920-1712. Voices of Sepharad Brin Ingber has choreographed and performed with the award-wining
Voices of Sepharad for over 18 years. She was co-founder with vocalist David Harris
and percussionist Mick LaBriola. They are joined by guitarist and 'ud player David
Burk and other guest artists for full length productions, as well as residencies
at universities and colleges. They have also performed in public schools, community
centers, on television and in cabaret formats. Voices of Sepharad has toured widely
from the Gindi Auditorium in Los Angeles to Manhattan's Danspace Project, and
for three weeks in Poland (including performances at the renowned Jewish Theatre
in Warsaw). Click for more details.
You can also look at the company's website www.voicesofsepharad.com. Other Dances Illustrated Dance Lectures Judith presented a paper at the International Conference of the Congress on Research in Dance at the University of Quebec, Montreal, titled "Dancing Despite the Scourge: Jewish Dancers during The Holocaust" on November 12, 2005. Judith presented her paper entitled "Searching for Sephardic Dance and A Fitting Accompaniment: An Historical and Personal Account," at the International Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies in Washington DC on December 18, 2005. Her paper included a personal account of her Sephardic work. Brin Ingber also presented solo performances and illustrated talks. Saturday, November 20th, 2004, Brin Ingber presented a special lecture in conjunction with Paul Taylor's premiere at the University of Washington in Seattle, celebrating 350 years of Jewish Life in America. Her lecture was sponsored by Nextbook and the University of Washington World Dance Series. For further information, reach Michele Yanow at myanow@nextbook.org. Last Spring, she lectured at the United Theological Seminary in Minnesota and at Am Echod Synagogue near Chicago. Her subjects include "View of Jews: the Nazis versus the Zionists" about the implications of the first 1947 Israeli folk dance company tour to the remnants of the European Jewish community in Displaced Persons camps in Europe after World War II; also, "Is Sephardic Dance Too Sexy?" which is about Sephardic communities and their dance both before and after the expulsion from Spain in 1492. Her illustrated dance lectures were featured at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia in autumn, 2001, as part of an international conference on the Polish choreographer Jacek Luminski; at the international Israeli folk dance festival "Horati" at Hofstra University in New York; and in London at the Mahol Europa conference and at the Royal War Museum's Holocaust exhibition. She also lectured at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem in the winter of 2002; at the Israel Dance Library and at the Ga'aton Dance Center. She gave academic papers on the work of Yemenite Israeli choreographer Sara Levi-Tanai at the American Jewish Studies Conference in Washington, DC in December, 2001. In the winter of 2004 she gives an academic paper for the AJS Conference in Chicago about Jewish dancers during the Holocaust. Her paper "Is Sephardic Dance Too Sexy?" was featured at the 6th International Conference of Languages and Literatures of Sephardi and Oriental Jews in Jerusalem; and "Vilified or Glorified? Views of the Jewish Body in 1947" was selected by the Society of Dance History Scholars for the Dancing Into the Millenium conference in Washington D.C. in the summer of 2001. She spoke at the SDHS Conference at Duke University in June of 2004 about Jewish dancers from Europe in World War Two. Whose Jewish Identity? Comments and Examples through DanceThis was a performance and lecture presented for the Graduate Colloquium in the Department of Dance at the University of California at Riverside on November 19, 2003. Other traveling included Brin Ingber's participation in the 10th annual International Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival in Bytom, Poland last summer. In the spring of 2003 she was seen in Vancouver, Canada on the University of British Columbia's "Arts, Education and Social Justice Series" performing with Alex Lubet. She also performed with Lubet in "Hannelore" at the Spark Festival at the University of MN School of Music. Brin Ingber was the featured dancer in Voices of Sepharad Mimouna Performance near Harford, Connecticut. She was artist-in-residence in Waukegan, IL at Congregation Am Echod where she performed and lectured Dance Writing Workshop at the Special Festival in Poland, Sponsored by The Silesian Dance Theater, June through July, 2003 |
