Vera Shabshay, 1925

Vera Kagan-Shabshay, Moscow, 1925. Family Archive, Israel. Photographer’s or studio’s stamp and date (25) | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel. From the exhibition: Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten “Amazon of the Avant-Garde” (2008)

Vera Shabshay in «Aleph»

Vera Shabshay (also Shabshai, Shabashai or Shabshaj) (1905-1988) in the Dance of the Slave. From the ballet “Aleph”, choreographed and produced by Vera Shabshay, Moscow, season 1930-1931. Costume by N.P. Lamanova and N.S. Iznar | src The Museum of Russian Art in Israel on Fb / המוזיאון לאמנות רוסית

From 1926 to 1934, Vera Shabshai (1905 – 1988) created about a hundred miniatures ballets, mainly on Jewish themes, to the music of composers from the Society of Jewish Music. These choreographic numbers, combined into suites on a specific theme, made up the extensive repertoire of “Evenings of Jewish Dance” and “Evenings of Jewish Ballet and Pantomime” organized by Shabshai in the seasons of 1929-1930 and 1930-1931.

The most popular piece of these ballets was the Jewish pantomime-ballet “Aleph”, in which she said she wanted to express through plastic means various moments of Jewish history from antiquity to the present day. It consisted of six pats or cycles: “Jewish Bas-reliefs”, “Mourning dances”, “Jews in Spain”, “Shtetl dances” and the pantomime “ Smena / Change”.

Nude in dance pose, ca. 1927

Paul Jsenfels :: Nude, ca. 1927. Photographed at the Herion Dance School in Stuttgart, Germany. | src liveauctioneers
Paul Jsenfels :: Nude, ca. 1927. Photographed at the Herion Dance School in Stuttgart, Germany. | src liveauctioneers

Lisa or Anna Duncan, ca. 1915-20

Arnold Genthe ::  Lisa Duncan dancing on a beach, Long Beach, Calif., ca. 1915 | src NYPL, Isadora Duncan Collection
Arnold Genthe :: Lisa Duncan dancing on a beach, Long Beach, Calif., ca. 1915 | src NYPL, Isadora Duncan Collection
Arnold Genthe :: Anna Duncan dancing; between 1920 and 1942; from a photograph taken ca. 1920. Lantern slide. | src Library of Congress
Arnold Genthe :: Anna Duncan dancing; between 1920 and 1942; from a photograph taken ca. 1920. Lantern slide. | src Library of Congress

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