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MARCELLINE BLOCK
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A
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248
7/23
1999
88 Detroit Jewish News
.5-
s a professional
dancer perform-
ing in classics
such as Giselle,
Romeo and Juliet and Swan
Lake, Julian Fisher felt cul-
tural pluralism was missing
from traditional ballet.
After a visit to Israel,
Fisher became actively inter-
ested in combining his love
of dance with his Jewish
heritage. The pursuit of his
goal — "to really add diver-
sity" to ballet" — led him
to found the American
Jewish Ballet two years ago.
"Around Christmas time,
all one sees or hears about
ballet is The Nutcracker
Suite," said Fisher, the artistic
director of the troupe and a
self-described "young Jewish
kid from Brighton Beach."
"We have the talent and
ideas to do something dif-
ferent, something that any
Jewish or non-Jewish person
would be happy to see.
The first ballet company
in the United States entirely
devoted to Jewish themes
has garnered praise during
the past couple of years.
Based in Orlando, Fla., and
New York, the company
performed last year at the
Piccolo Spoleto Festival —
America's premier annual
celebration of the arts — in
Charleston, S.C.
The ballet's first original
program, Jewish Perspectives,
consists of four dances, each
highlighting an aspect of
Jewish identity.
"Dilemmas of the Day,"
the first ballet of Jewish
Perspectives, choreographed
by Fisher, chronicles an
American Jewish girl's first
trip to Israel.
Her first glimpse of the
Holy Land is one of politi-
cal turmoil, dramatized in
a dance between an Israeli
and a Palestinian soldier,
each carrying his respective
flag. Israel's religious free-
dom is shown through the
young girl's encounter
with a priest and Catholic
worshipers.
ON THEIR TOES on page 90
Troupe brings Jewish
culture and history
to traditional ballet.
irk
The American Jewish. Ballet per forms.
The troupe's future is uncertain
due to a lack of funding.