Query about Russian Jewish Ballroom Dancers

[trubikhina at AOL.COM]

Hi Ben,

While I don't know anything about dance specifically, your colleague 
might want to take a look at a very interesting article by Irina 
Isaakyan in "Nationalities papers," Vol.36, No 5 (November 2008). It 
both theorizes and provides statistical data for the state 
institutionalized anti-semitism during the Brezhnev era, albeit in the 
academic circles.  However, the statistical (quota) approach was the 
same for all areas, including performance arts and dance. The essay 
also includes evidence based on many hours of interviews with Russian 
non-Jewish and Russian Jewish academics many of whom emigrated to 
Israel,the US, and Canada.
The title is "Blood and Soil of the Soviet Academy: Politically 
Institutionalized Anti-Semitism in the Moscow Academic Circles of the 
Brezhnev Era..."

best,

Julia



----------------------------
Julia Trubikhina, PhD
New York University


-----Original Message-----
From: Benjamin Rifkin <brifkin at TEMPLE.EDU>
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Sent: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:42 pm
Subject: [SEELANGS] Query about Russian Jewish Ballroom Dancers










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


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