Query about Russian Jewish Ballroom Dancers

[Benjamin Rifkin]

Dear SEELANGers:

A colleague of mine in sociology at Temple is working on a book on ballroom
dancing and has questions about Jewish ballroom dancers from Russia and
Ukraine and issues of anti-semitism.  Her message is appended below.

If any of you have any thoughts on this matter and would be willing to
correspond directly with my colleague, Dr. Julia Ericksen, julia at temple.edu,
I would very much appreciate it.

Please note that she does not speak or read Russian.

With thanks,

Ben Rifkin


------ Forwarded Message
From: "Julia A. Ericksen" <julia at temple.edu>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:35:02 -0400
To: Ben Rifkin <brifkin at temple.edu>

I need a reference for a book I am writing about ballroom dancing and wonder
if you can help me.  Many of the top dancers are immigrants and a good many
of them are Jewish.  They came in during the eighties and nineties as
refugees.  Some came later having gone to Israel first.  Do you know of a
good reference about Russian Jewish Immigrants to the US?
 
I have been told that the reason top dancers from Russia and its former
satellites like the Ukraine are frequently Jews is that they went into
ballroom  because of the anti-Semitism in ballet.  Do you know anything
about this?  

------ End of Forwarded Message


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------