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Tallit: Prayer Shawl is a meditative and
celebratory dance drama in which a theater becomes a sanctuary and
audience a sacred community. . In this 2 hour choreographic and visual
feast, members of the "awe"dience are gradually drawn into the "fabric"
(a 40' x 30' foot stretch silk prayer shawl). Through movement, poetry,
chant, and music, the seven dancers and community sanctify natures'
energies weave them into the story of the Jewish past, and transform
Jewish symbolism to include a choreographed wedding of the entire
community, a gathering under the "Tree of Life", ending with a four
generational prayer which gives birth to a contemporary, non-sectarian
community of praise and purpose.
Tallit has been performed at:
- Cleveland College of Judaic Studies, Cleveland, Ohio, Co-sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese Conference on Women;
- Grailville Center, Loveland; Ohio, sponsored by The Grail Women's Task Force,
- Franciscan Life Center, Toledo, Ohio;
- University of Cincinnati, Ohio Women's Studies Program and the Department of Judaic Studies,;
- Contemporary Dance Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Bryn Maur College in Philadelphia, Pa., sponsored by P'Nai Or
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Columbia University, NYC. Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies International Conference
"TALLIT: PRAYER SHAWL is a two hour ceremonial
dance drama. The Tallit, traditionally worn only by Orthodox Jewish
men, has been a totally male identified symbol of the human encounter
with the transcendent. As choreographer of the dance drama, Shur claims
the Tallit for all women as well as men, transforming it into the
serpent, the womb, the birth canal, the umbilical cord, the wedding
canopy, the tree of life. As the dance recapitulates life's journey,
all present are invited to join in and participate. The Tallit as
wedding canopy (chuppah) becomes a symbol of people's connections with
one another, the 'marriage" of each to all."
- American Isrealite, February 9, 1989
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