Klezmer Workshops with Forshpil | Part of Klezmer on Ice

Join us for a day of interactive workshops with klezmer supergroup Forshpil covering traditional Yiddish dance and klezmer music for vocalists, instrumentalists, hand-clappers, foot-stompers, and yay-day-day’ers of all ages and abilities. 

Featuring two sessions of workshops by world-renowned teachers; Sasha Lurje, Ilya Shneyveys, Jake Shulman-Ment, Avi Fox-Rosen, and Richie Barshay. Participants will be inspired to draw upon the beautifully expressive cultural traditions of klezmer music and dance, passed down from generation to generation, in crafting their own modern Jewish identity. 

Session One: 11 AM - 12:30 PM

• Yiddish Dance Far Ale (For All)

Session Two: 1 PM - 2:30 PM

• Klezmer for Melodic Instruments
• Yiddish Singalong
• Klezmer Groove Train (Rhythm + Percussion)

Workshops will cover topics ranging from traditional Yiddish dance to klezmer music for vocalists and instrumentalists. In the spirit of Yiddish cultural tradition, all ages and experience levels are encouraged to attend, from gigging artists to those who can clap and sing along with the famous Yiddish phrase “yay-day-day”, to anyone wanting to simply dip their toes into an expressively Jewish cultural experience. Musicians and students please bring your instrument. 

That evening the workshop teachers will be performing at the Cedar Cultural Center as the psychedelic klezmer rock supergroup Forshpil! 

• Workshops and Forshpil tickets included in all-access pass
• Forshpil individual tickets

Workshop Descriptions

Session One: 11 AM - 12:30 PM

Yiddish Dance Far Ale (For All)

Led by Sasha Lurje, accompanied by Ilya Shneyveys, Jake Shulman-Ment, Richie Barshay, & Avi Fox-Rosen

An all-ages and abilities workshop for new dancers, experienced dancers, and even those that think they aren't dancers. We will focus on the steps, styles, and embellishments of essential Yiddish dance genres – paying special attention to meaning and the dialogue between dancers and musicians. All instrumentalists are also encouraged to attend (sans instrument). Understanding the dances is an essential “step” towards becoming a great klezmer musician. Learning with a live band, we’ll cover tempo and repertoire selection, watching the dancers and reading the room, and working with a dance leader. Participants will have a chance to show off their new skills at the evening’s headliner concert at the Cedar Cultural Center!

Musicians: There will be a secure space to store your instruments so you can retrieve them for session two.

Accessibility note: Standing workshop on an open floor with seating around the perimeter for those needing to rest or simply wanting to watch and listen to the live band. Contact us with any questions. 

Session Two: 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Klezmer for Melodic Instruments (Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced) with Ilya Shneyveys & Jake Shulman-Ment

Whether you’re playing a simcha every weekend or someone who’s never played a klezmer tune before, here’s your chance to learn from two of the most renowned touring klezmer musicians out there. We’ll split the group into beginners and intermediate/advanced players, and learn music the traditional way; by ear. Beginners will leave the workshop with a new klezmer melody they can play anytime without sheet music, and intermediate/advanced players will learn how to mimic the Yiddish voice on their instrument; infusing rhetorical meaning, rhythmic sense, and ornamentation into their musical phrasing. 

Open to musicians of all ages and abilities, but players with at least a basic grasp of their instrument will get the most out of this class. Bring your instrument. Chairs will be provided. Stands are not needed. Vocalists and non-musicians are also invited to sing along and hang out with us. Contact us with any questions.

Singalong: Yiddish Love Songs from a Parallel World with Sasha Lurje

Yiddish folksongs carry the stories of ordinary Jewish folks’ lived experience, carried across place and time. Singers of all ages and abilities - from fluent Yiddish speaker or professional singer to “can sing yay-day-day” - are invited to enjoy the warmth of these songs together on a cold winter day.

Sasha Lurje has been researching and performing traditional Yiddish singing style and repertoire, investigating both secular and religious vocal materials. With her Yiddish psychedelic rock band Forshpil, she is developing a new style of Yiddish music by integrating the traditional sound into a modern context. Participants will learn selections from the repertoire of Forshpil and be able to sing along at the evening’s headliner concert at the Cedar Cultural Center!

Accessibility note: Seated workshop. Contact us with any questions. 

Klezmer Groove Train with Richie Barshay

Join Richie Barshay, international touring percussionist with acts such as The Klezmatics, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and more, will lead a crash course in body percussion and movement, designed to enhance your groove and rhythmic creativity in the klezmer idiom. For novice to experienced rhythm section musicians, as well as non-musical beginners who want to dip their toes into a musical experience, we will learn traditional rhythms found in klezmer music, with a focus on traditional folk dance and the fundamentals of grounded time and groove. Through elements of the Alexander Technique (Richie is also a certified teacher), we’ll learn to use our bodies as a gateway to more rhythmic flow!

Accessibility note: Standing workshop on an open floor with seating around the perimeter for those needing to rest or simply wanting to watch and listen. Contact us with any questions. 

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Part of Klezmer on Ice; the Twin Cities' second annual wintertime celebration of Eastern European Jewish music and culture. Featuring a headliner concert by international klezmer supergroup FORSHPIL at the Cedar Cultural Center on Feb 4. For more information about Klezmer On Ice and the full lineup of events (1/31 - 2/4), visit klezmeronice.com
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You must present a government-issued ID to gain access to the Minnesota JCC campuses. Thank you for your cooperation.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.