At the American premiere of “The Pioneers,” an opera by Professor Jacob Weinberg, to be sung in Hebrew at Mecca Temple November 25, 27 and 29. the Palestinian dances will be staged and arranged by Miss Dvora Lapson, Miss Lapson, writing in American Dancer says:
“In modern times, the greatest group of what may be called traditional Jewish dances has been preserved by us by a sect of Jews known as Chassidim. This sect came into existence during one of the darkest moments in Jewish history, during the turning point of medievalism, when the Jew of the European ghetto saw before him nothing but darkness.
“One who is interested in the Chassidic dance can still see examples of it on any Sabbath or festive occasion, by visiting the Shtiebel, or gathering place of a Chassidic congregation, of which there are still many throughout the world.
“In our own generation, as we observe the return of the Jew to Palestine and the recreation of a new Jewish national culture, we find that the dance has begun to play a new role in the life of the Jew. Both as a spontaneous expression on the part of masses of enthusiastic young Jews and as a medium in the field of creative art the Hebrew dance is once more coming to the fore.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
