The Aleph ballet · Virt and Leman

The dancers Galina Virt and Tatiana Leman. Jewish pantomime ballet “Aleph” (part or cycle 1: Jewish Bas-Reliefs). Choreographed by Vera Shabshai (1929) | src FGIS Goscatalog
Dancers Galina Virt and Tatyana Leman in the Jewish pantomime ballet “Aleph” (part 1: Jewish bas-reliefs). Choreography by Vera Shabshay (1929) | src Nadezhda Lamanova

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”.

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)

Marionette Dance, Moscow, 1927

Marionette Dance, Moscow, 1927. Music by Lyubov Schtraiher. Choreography by Vera Shabshay | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel

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”.

Dance of the Hasidim (Prayer)

Dance of the Hasidim (Prayer). Music by Alexander Krein. Choreography by Vera Shabshay, Moscow, season 1929-1930. | src Exhibition dedicated to Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten “Amazon of the Avant-Garde” (2008) held at The Museum of Russian Art, Israel
Dance of the Hasidim (Prayer). Music by Alexander Krein. Choreography by Vera Shabshay, Moscow, season 1929-1930. | src Exhibition Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten “Amazon of the Avant-Garde” (2008) held at The Museum of Russian Art, Israel

Costume for Marionette dance

C. (Goldschlag?) ~ Costume design for «Marionette Dance», 1927. Choreography by Vera Shabshay. From the exhibition Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten “Amazon of the Avant-Garde” (2008) | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel

Jewish Tango, Moscow, 1929

Jewish Tango, Moscow, 1929. Music by Leo Gardi. Choreography by Vera Shabshay. From the exhibition Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten “Amazon of the Avant-Garde” (2008) | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel