The Aleph ballet ยท Virt and Leman

The dancers Galina Virt and Tatiana Leman. Jewish pantomime ballet โ€œAlephโ€ (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 โ€œAlephโ€ (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 โ€œEvenings of Jewish Danceโ€ and โ€œEvenings of Jewish Ballet and Pantomimeโ€ organized by Shabshai in the seasons of 1929-1930 and 1930-1931.

The most popular piece of these ballets was the Jewish pantomime-ballet โ€œAlephโ€, 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: โ€œJewish Bas-reliefsโ€, โ€œMourning dancesโ€, โ€œJews in Spainโ€, โ€œShtetl dancesโ€ and the pantomime โ€œ Smena / Changeโ€.

Vera Shabshay, 1925

Vera Kagan-Shabshay, Moscow, 1925. Family Archive, Israel. Photographerโ€™s or studioโ€™s stamp and date (25) | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel. From the exhibition: Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten โ€œAmazon of the Avant-Gardeโ€ (2008)

Vera Shabshay in ยซAlephยป

Vera Shabshay (also Shabshai, Shabashai or Shabshaj) (1905-1988) in the Dance of the Slave. From the ballet โ€œAlephโ€, 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 / ื”ืžื•ื–ื™ืื•ืŸ ืœืืžื ื•ืช ืจื•ืกื™ืช

From 1926 to 1934, Vera Shabshai (1905 โ€“ 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 โ€œEvenings of Jewish Danceโ€ and โ€œEvenings of Jewish Ballet and Pantomimeโ€ organized by Shabshai in the seasons of 1929-1930 and 1930-1931.

The most popular piece of these ballets was the Jewish pantomime-ballet โ€œAlephโ€, 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: โ€œJewish Bas-reliefsโ€, โ€œMourning dancesโ€, โ€œJews in Spainโ€, โ€œShtetl dancesโ€ and the pantomime โ€œ Smena / Changeโ€.

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 โ€œAmazon of the Avant-Gardeโ€ (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 โ€œAmazon of the Avant-Gardeโ€ (2008) held at The Museum of Russian Art, Israel

Costume for Marionette dance

C. (Goldschlag?) ~ Costume design for ยซMarionette Danceยป, 1927. Choreography by Vera Shabshay. From the exhibition Choreographer Vera Shabshay: Forgotten โ€œAmazon of the Avant-Gardeโ€ (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 โ€œAmazon of the Avant-Gardeโ€ (2008) | src The Museum of Russian Art, Israel