DANCE How Jewish Is

DANCE How Jewish is the music, with the songs of Flamenco? the flamenco singer. The late The jury is still out on how much Spanish flamenco guitarist influence Jewish music had on Flamenco’s heart has Sephardi beat and composer Paco de Lucía, flamenco, says Rebecca Taylor who revolutionised the art of Flamenco dance has seen a burst of popularity in Israel in recent years. flamenco, acknowledged the SEPHARDI – OR ASHKENAZI? Joy Sable speaks to Israeli dancer Ornili Azulay to find out why Sephardi influence on its music. Musicologists believe that flamenco is It is not just the music which related more to Ashkenazi synagogue f you had to imagine a flamenco Mehta with the Israel Philharmonic appeals to the modern Israeli. music than it is to Sephardi music. dancer, then Ornili Azulay is the Orchestra. She has also performed her Ornili says when flamenco was It can be linked to the chazanut or Iliving embodiment of what you might own choreography to Ariel Ramírez’s first performed in Israel, the the cantorial style of eastern Europe, conjure up. Long, dark hair, sinuous Misa Criolla at the Walt Disney Concert dancing amazed audiences: whose modulations are reminiscent limbs and flashing eyes, she moves with Hall in Los Angeles and recently danced “It always struck people as of flamenco singing. Whether or not a combination of grace and sensuality, at an international conference at something very graceful these melodies go back to the singing the epitome of a Spanish dancer. There Oxford University. and elegant. Everybody was of the Levites in the Temple, or simply is one difference: Ornili is not Spanish. But why has flamenco become intrigued by the restrained share a single eastern Mediterranean She is Israeli-born and bred, but has so popular in Israel? Many dance sensuality of the art of source with Arabic music, whose become an established star on the companies now specialise in the flamenco. I feel it almost gave influence on flamenco was enormous, international flamenco scene, and has form, such as Sharon Saguy’s Jewish women – specifically they can be clearly heard in the cante done much to popularise the art in her Flamenco Natural, Michal Natan’s Sephardi women – personal jondo, the ‘deep song’ that is flamenco native country. Compas and Remangar, and there redemption. Jewish women do at its purest. It is wrong to simply define Ornili are classes for a growing fanbase Sephardi passion: Ornili Azulay; Carlos Saura’s not easily allow themselves to show off as a dancer. She describes herself in cities across the country. Ornili 1983 film of Carmen their sensuality. Traditionally, they are SEPHARDI ROMANÇEROS SEPHARDI RENAISSANCE as a creative artist: she likes to think it is educated to be shyer, more reserved. In There are close parallels to flamenco has studied drama at something to do with such as the Jota, for example, the musical flamenco, you can be very feminine but music in Sephardi songs known as RADA, performed and “Flamenco the intense mix of form and folk dance of Aragon,” she very covered. Remember, the Spanish romançeros. A well-known one called written poetry, and music is close cultures to be found in explains. Indeed, Spain seems to be dancer does not dance in a tutu, her La Petenera, with its line “Dónde vas choreographed many of Israel: “What happens one giant cultural sponge, soaking up skirt is long!” bella judía?”(“Where are you going, her own works. Indeed, to Sephardi in this marvellous, influences from any ethnic group which Whereas ballet is unyielding in its you Jewish beauty?”) has cante jondo it is hard to find just one liturgical crazy, Middle Eastern has ever lived in the land for a length of demand for a specific body type – lean, elements. The fact that such a song word to describe this music” crossroads is a mix time. “Get into a car at any given spot in flat-chested and long-limbed – Spanish was taken by Jewish exiles from Spain multi-talented woman. of East, West, Jews, Spain and every 10 or 15 kilometres you dancing is more forgiving, according to in 1492 demonstrates that it belongs During her childhood, Muslims…I can’t think of will get different food, clothing, dialects, Ornili. “Bodies that would be considered to the earliest stage of flamenco there were no particular signs that she any other art form that excites all kinds music and dance forms,” she laughs. way too heavy for classical ballet would singing, whose known history does not would forge a career as a specialist in of Jewish people and Arabs.” If flamenco is influencing Israelis still work beautifully for Spanish dance, go back much further. Spanish dancing. She did what lots When she talks of all kinds of Jewish today, then there is a poetic balance where you can make use of whatever body SEPHARDI RENAISSANCE of other little girls do – took classes in people, aside from the various levels to it because hundreds of years ago, shape you have and express it.” FLEMISH OR FLAMINGO? piano, ballet and drama – and though of religious observance to be found in Judaism extended its own influence upon Classical ballet is constantly seeking The word ‘flamenco’ in Spanish she did well at all three, particularly in Israel, she is talking about the two main flamenco. It was not alone of course; to defy gravity with the emphasis on has two meanings: ‘Flemish’ and drama, it was not until she was 11 and strands of Judaism which meet there: many other influences, including those appearing weightless, but the opposite ‘flamingo’. The Spanish had contact saw Carlos Saura’s groundbreaking Ashkenazi and Sephardi. Her father originating from Islamic is true of Spanish with the Flemings, because Flanders, 1983 film Carmen that she fell in love was an Ashkenazi Jew from Poland who and Romany traditions dancing. “Flamenco has the Dutch-speaking area of what with flamenco. died when she was very young, and probably also made “Flamenco an intimate relationship today is Belgium, was under Spanish At this point, it is important to his extended family perished in the important contributions to allows you with the earth, it’s about Habsburg occupation for nearly 300 explain what exactly flamenco is. Holocaust, so she has little connection the art form. to be very worshipping the earth,” years. Earlier than that, flamenco Although, as Ornili says, “the dance with that side of her ancestry – “Jews and Muslims says Ornili. in Spanish had taken on the sense has become the greatest ambassador something she regrets. Brought up in were expelled from feminine but The immediate future of fair-skinned – the Flemings being of flamenco”, it is first and foremost a Ramat Gan by her Sephardi lawyer Spain pretty much at very covered” promises to be a busy one lighter complexioned than the darker musical form and is made up of guitar mother – Ornili’s grandmother was from the same time,” she for Ornili. She is currently Spaniards. Because a ruddy pink is the playing, singing and dancing. Damascus – she is more in tune with her explains. “That’s when gypsies started working on a solo show based on works by colour of the flamingo’s under-wings, It was the dancing, particularly that Sephardi roots. A career as a classical arriving [probably from India, although the Spanish playwright Federico Garcia it came to be called flamenco too. of Antonio Gades, the film’s star, which Spanish dancer is perhaps not so there were also Andalucian gypsies] Lorca. She will interpret his poems, Why should this word have been impressed Ornili and inspired her to strange, after all. and filled in the cultural vacuum. So monologues and other writings through used for the passionate singing of take flamenco classes. “The image of Ornili is quick to acknowledge gypsies influenced the art of flamenco words, dance and video art. The project, Spanish gypsies? Some speculate Antonio Gades changed my life and I that there are few dancers immensely. Nowadays, maybe 10 or 20 Solo Lorca, is due to have its premiere it came from Jewish exiles who took fell deeply in love with the art,” she says. today who are what she calls dancers can be defined as true flamenco later in 2018 at the Federico Garcia Centre songs like La Petenera with them to She studied under a succession of top ‘pure’ flamenco dancers. dancers – almost all of them are gypsies.” in Granada to coincide with the 120th the Netherlands. But lexicographer teachers, such as Silvia Duran in Israel, True flamenco originated The Jews who had lived in Spain anniversary of Lorca’s birth. Joan Corominas has traced the use of and other leading exponents in Spain, in a specific region of left their own mark, not so much on In the meantime she will continue the word flamenco to 1870, hundreds including Antonio Canales and Paco Spain. “Flamenco is the the dancing, but on the songs. “There her lifelong dedication to flamenco of years too late for it to have anything Fernandez. This combination of hard art form of Andalucia, is a musical closeness between – spreading the knowledge of this to do with Jews in Flanders. He shows work and extraordinary talent enabled whereas Spanish dance BEN LAM flamenco music and Sephardi centuries-old art to new audiences both how it went from meaning ‘fair- © Ornili to forge a successful international is a much wider term, liturgical music,” says Ornili. in Israel and around the world. Muchas skinned’ to ‘dashing’ and from there career, including dancing Carmen at the which includes other Listen to the plaintive Sephardi gracias, Ornili.

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