The 11th Annual KlezmerQuerque!!
February 15-17, 2013
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Over Presidents Day Weekend

KlezmerQuerque 2013 welcomes back by popular demand dancer & choreographer BRUCE BIERMAN. We are also proud to announce that Philadelphia’s renown award-winning mother & daughter klezmer dynasty duo: ELAINE HOFFMAN-WATTS: drums & percussion and SUSAN WATTS: trumpet & voice will be our featured musical artists.

Highlights of the festival include a cameo concert-performance by the duo as part of Der Freylekher Shabbes on Friday evening February 15 and a full concert and dance party on Saturday evening, February 16. Yiddish dance master Bruce Bierman will lead the dancing at both evening events. On Sunday, February 17 between 10:00am and 5:30pm there will be three 90 min. hands-on workshops taught by the guest artists in Jewish & klezmer instrumental music and dance. 

  Elaine Hoffman Watts and Susan Watts are descendants of Philadelphia’s prominent Hoffman family musical dynasty. Beginning with Susan’s great-grandfather, musician, composer, cornet-player, and poet, Joseph Hoffman, this important klezmer dynasty reaches back to the Jewish Ukraine of the 19th century. Third and fourth generation klezmorim (musicians) Elaine and Susan are internationally celebrated for their musical skill, ingenuity and cultural knowledge.

Elaine is a musical national treasure. Born in 1932, Elaine Hoffman Watts is a winner of the prestigious 2007 National Heritage Award from the National Endowment of the Arts. She is one of only eight artists from Pennsylvania, and one of only six Jewish artists from the entire country, to be so honored over the last 28 years. Elaine is also the recipient of the Leeway Transformation Award and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. She was the first woman percussionist to be accepted at Curtis Institute, from which she graduated in 1954. Hoffman-Watts has performed and taught drums, timpani, and mallet instruments for more than forty years, working in symphonies, theaters, and schools.

In addition to performing with a variety of noted Klezmer musicians from around the world, trumpeter & vocalist Susan Watts has shared the stage with Mandy Patinkin at Carnegie Hall, Dudu Fischer, Theodore Bikel, Claire Barry, Boban Markovic,  So-Called, Alicia Svigals, Margot Leverett, Henkus Netsky, The Klezmer Conervatory Band, among others. Susan is a member of The Fabulous Shpielkes, Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Mikveh, and The Klez Dispensers. Recently, she scored and recorded the soundtrack for the award winning film ‘Breath’, and she recorded the soundtrack for a documentary on Philadelphia klezmer ‘A Joyful Noise.’ Susan teaches at klezmer festivals, is an ambassador for womens’ rights around the world and loves good coffee, fine vodka, singing and playing her trumpet.

Bruce Bierman: It happened in Santa Cruz, California while attending college in the late 80's.  Bruce purchased a used record called Metropolis by the Klezmorim and started dancing like a shikered hasid---never suspecting that Yiddish dance would play a big part in his life much later. Inspired by the album, he adapted, directed and choreographed a klezmer musical based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's 'Gimpel the Fool' for his senior thesis.  After graduating with a degree in Theater Arts, he toured the country with the acclaimed Aman Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles performing and teaching world dances from all over the world.  He had no idea about the dances from his own tradition until he stumbled across a Yiddish dance class taught by Steve Weintraub.  Soon after, he attended the Krakow Jewish Cultural Festival and the first symposium on Yiddish Dance at NYU with Michael Alpert and Zev Feldman.  His other teachers include the divine Miss Deborah Strauss and the legendary Felix Fibich. Bruce has been a leading presenter of Yiddish dance for major festivals, performances and conferences including the prestigious Berkeley Jewish Music Festival and the Jewish Contemporary Museum of San Francisco.  He has also led dance to some of the top klezmer bands and musicians in the country including Frank London and Veretski Pass.  Bruce is an award winning actor/director/playwright and choreographer living and working in Los Angeles. 

KLEZMERQUERQUE 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:   

 Klick on "schedule" tab on the left for a printable downloadable schedule and klick on 'Registration' for a printable downloadable registration form.

Friday, February 15th 2013 (6:30pm):

‘Der Freylekher Shabbes’ (Joyous Shabbat) featuring KLEZ-Q GUEST ARTISTS ELAINE HOFFMAN-WATTS, SUSAN WATTS & BRUCE BIERMAN plus cantorial soloist Beth Cohen, The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band, Rikud Yiddish dance troupe and The Rebbe's Orkestra. 6:30- A joyous danced & participatory ‘old country’ Shabbat service; 7:15-vegetarian potluck dinner; 7:45 - Brief performance by The Rebbe’s Orkestra for dancing. 8pm: Brief performance by Elaine Hoffman-Watts & Susan Watts; 8:30pm: More music with The NS Community Klezmer band - Dances led by Bruce Bierman & Rikud.   
FREE & OPEN TO ALL - DONATIONS WELCOME - $18 SUGGESTED. 

Saturday, February 16th 2013:

7:00-10pm / DOORS @ 6:30pm: CONCERT & DANCE PARTY!! 

Featuring Special GUEST ARTISTS ELAINE HOFFMAN-WATTS: drums, SUSAN WATTS: voice & trumpet, & master dance-leader BRUCE BIERMAN.

++plus  OPENING ACT @ 7pm: The Rebbe’s Orkestra Klezmer & Judaic ensemble

7:30pm: Performance by Elaine & Susan
...THEN break for intermission (CD / merch / snack sales & pushing some chairs back for the)...
Dance Party!! With dancing led by Bruce Bierman to a monster-rockin' klezmer jam-band with members of The Rebbe's Orkestra & The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band led by The Hoffman-Watts/Watts duo!
[$18- Advance ticket sales available ONLY at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW, ABQ (505) 344-8139].
Tix at the Door: $20-general/$18-seniors, etc...
ONE SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT TICKET is included with each ALL EVENT PRE-registration. 

Individual SATURDAY night concert tickets can not be sold, held or kept at will-call via telephone or our on-line paypal ("donate" button). Special exceptions might be made for folks from out of town--Please Kontact festival Ko-ordinator: Beth Cohen  (505) 243-6276    This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sunday, February 17th 2013:

10AM-5:30 PM:  THREE 90 minute workshops in Jewish & klezmer music & dance featuring GUEST ARTISTS ($20 / $15 ea).

--PLUS a special catered Lunch 'n Learn with 2 documentary films:  "Eatela: A Life in Klezmer" and "Goodnight Mishegas" featuring Elaine (Eatela) & Susan - films followed by question & answer period. ($15-gen/ $10-seniors, etc. LUNCH RESERVATIONS DUE by FEB 8th).

10-11:30am: Workshops in klezmer music OR dance $20-gen/$15-fixed income (CHOOSE ONE):

1- Dance - Bruce:
Sacred Ecstatic Jewish Dance:  From the moment Miriam took out her timbrel and began to dance after the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea, dance has played a continuous vital role in Jewish ritual life. According to folkologists, Yemenite and Hasidic dance are the original source of all other Jewish dance to follow. This workshop will explore the fascinating gestural language, movements and styling of these two ecstatic dance forms and the percussive rhythms and nigns (wordless melodies) that accompany them. The workshop will begin with stretches and poses inspired by the Hebrew letters. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes to dance in.

2- Music - Elaine & Susan:  Learn some great klezmer freylekhes from the Hoffamn-Watts family repertoire - straight from the Ukraine to Philly to ABQ!

Noon-2:00pm:  LUNCH ‘N LEARN with 2 Documentary films featuring Elaine & Susan ($15-gen /$10-seniors, etc... Reservations DUE by 2/8):  Enjoy a delicious catered ‘milkhik’ lunch (NO meat / YES: fish, eggs, dairy & lots of veggie foods) and:

"Eatela: A Life in Klezmer" shares the unique Ukrainian-Jewish klezmer sounds of Elaine (Eatela) Hoffman Watts and Susan Watts, third and fourth generation klezmorim. Including dynamic concert footage, family movies, interviews and historic photos, the documentary shows what this music means, and how it has remained vital.

Eatela: A Life in Klezmer is a loving portrait of Elaine Hoffman Watts (her Yiddish name is "Eatela") and her family legacy. The documentary shows how a feisty and determined musician has broken barriers as a musician, a working mother, and in her persistent devotion to her family's klezmer music. Drawing on performance footage, family movies and photographs, and interviews, Eatela shows how the klezmer tradition has been sustained over four generations in a single family, with a good dose of humor and joy. Eatala features performances by Elaine Hoffman Watts, Susan Lankin Watts and an all-star klezmer band with Josh Dolgin, Jay Krush, Rachel Lemisch, Hankus Netsky, Henry Sapoznik, and Carmen Staaf. Directed by Barry Dornfeld and Debora Kodish.

Plus the short film "Goodnight Mishegas". Films followed by question & answer period with the artists.

2:15-3:45pm:  Workshops in klezmer music OR dance $20-gen/$15-fixed income (CHOOSE ONE):

1- Dance - Bruce:
Bawdy and Profane Jewish Dance: Participants in this workshop participants will experience on their feet how the more sacred Yemenite and Hasidic dance influenced their future secular offsprings: Klezmer and Israeli folk dance.  Then, take a listen and bust a move as Yemenite and Hasidic dance enter the 21st century and meet hip hop, rap, swing and the mambo! The workshop will begin with stretches and poses inspired by the Hebrew letters. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes to dance in.

2- Music - Susan:  Learn some great klezmer tunes from the Hoffman-Watts family repertoire - passed down from Susan's great-grandfather!

4:00-5:30PM: Klezmer Music workshop $20-gen / $15- fixed income:

1- Dance - Bruce:
Yiddish Tango:  Inspired by the body of Yiddish tango music that came out of the Jewish theater and cabarets of the Twenties and early Thirties, this workshop explores the meeting place between the more communal Yiddish circle dance and the intimate embrace of the Argentine tango. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes to dance in.

2-Music - Susan & Elaine:  Learn some great klezmer freylekhes from the Hoffamn-Watts family repertoire - straight from the Ukraine to Philly to ABQ!

EARLY registration DISCOUNT
for ALL events (3 workshops, 1 Lunch ‘n Learn, & 2  evening events):
$85-general / $70-seniors, students & fixed income.
Registration and payment MUST be received BY Friday, February 8th for discount.

On-line payment with Paypal (“Donate” button) & downloadable registration forms on this web site: www.nahalatshalom.org    Klick on “Klezmer Music/Dance” & “KlezmerQuerque”

For daily schedule details you can also click on the Website Calendar to the right >>

     
For questions, detailed information about class times, prices, tickets & registration  CONTACT: 

Beth Cohen, KlezmerQuerque Ko-ordinator 

505-243-6276  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Office Phone: (505) 343-8227   E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it    WEB: www.nahalatshalom.org