“KLEZMERQUERQUE” | Jewish Music WebCenter

“KLEZMERQUERQUE” –Albuquerque, New Mexico’s annual Klezmer music and dance festival
celebrates its seventh year over Presidents Day weekend February 12-15, 2009.

Known as “The Southwest’s Celebration of Klezmer Music and Dance”, KLEZMERQUERQUE 2009 will present a weekend of concerts, dance parties, classes and workshops featuring the world-renowned
klezmer duo Deborah Strauss and Jeff Warschauer, the renowned dancer, choreographer,
dance scholar and historian Judith Brin Ingber, as well as many local artists.
‘Klezmer’ is the music and dance of the Jewish people of Eastern Europe which is
currently enjoying a revival in world music as well as in popular music and culture.
The annual festival will take place over Presidents Day Weekend from February 12-15
(Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon) at Albuquerque’s Congregation Nahalat
Shalom which is located on 3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW (between Candelaria & Griegos).

The 20-piece intergenerational Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer band will be
celebrating the release of its first full length CD and the band will be playing on
Friday and Saturday evenings for Klezmer dances led by Nahalat Shalom’s Yiddish
dance troupe “Rikud”. The Rebbe’s Orkestra, the popular Albuquerque-based klezmer
and Judaic ensemble will also perform on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The festival begins on Thursday evening, February 12th featuring a “hands-on”
workshop led by Strauss and Warschauer that will prepare participants, singers &
musicians to lead a joyous musical Shabbat service in an old Eastern European style
on the following evening (Friday, February 13th). Price for this class includes
admission to the Friday service, performances and dance party. The Friday evening
service, performances and dance party will also feature a vegetarian potluck dinner,
and some Sephardic wedding dances taught and led by dance artist Judith Brin Ingber.

For detailed information about class times, prices, tickets & registration:
Beth Cohen, Klezmerquerque coordinator (505) 243-6276
<mailto:cohenedmunds@netzero.net> and/or
Congregation Nahalat Shalom: http://www.nahalatshalom.org/
(505) 343-8227

On Saturday, February 14th there will be 2 klezmer music classes taught by Strauss
and Warschauer: “Shabbos, Music and Yiddish” in the morning – all ages, levels, and
backgrounds welcome and “Making Your Instrument Sing In Yiddish: A Klezmer Workshop
for Everyone” in the afternoon. Brin Ingber will teach a Yiddish dance class in the
morning featuring The Under and Over dance, The Rebbe Eilimelech dance and Kei
Tzemerakdim. At noon there will be a catered lunch and lecture featuring a
powerpoint presentation by Brin Ingber on general Jewish dance, the presentation
will be followed by a question and answer period.

Saturday evening will feature two dance performances by Brin Ingber “The Argument”-
a dance that tells the emotional story of Sarah and Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac,
the dance will be accompanied by the chanting of the story by Brin Ingber’s sister
Rabbi Deborah Brin, who is also the Rabbi of Congregation Nahalat Shalom. Brin
Ingber will also perform “Roles Not Taken” – a dance commentary on being Jewish.
Saturday evening culminates with a Strauss/Warschauer Duo concert, “Dem Fideles
Neshome” (The Fiddle’s Soul) and dance party. Brin Ingber will also lead the 3
dances that she taught in her morning class.

Sunday late morning, students will choose between a dance class with Brin Ingber or
a music class with Strauss/Warschauer Duo “Making Your Instrument Sing In Yiddish: A
Klezmer Workshop for Everyone, Part 2”. Brin Ingber will teach dances from an East
European Jewish wedding: Broyges Tanz, and a Sher as well as a review of the dances
taught on Saturday.