Sher (dance)
Encyclopedia
A sher or sherele is a dance and musical form in Eastern European Jewish folk music
, notably Klezmer
music.
The sher is a set dance
in 4/4 march-like tempo. The set is made up of four couples in a square formation, similar to a quadrille
or square dance
formation. There are many figures used, such as couples advancing, retiring, changing places, couples visiting, circling, threading the needle, etc. The "sher" figure involves two opposite men advancing towards each other and then crossing past each other turning as the pass. "Sher" means "scissors
" (and "sherele" is "small scissors") in Yiddish, and the name of the dance may come from the sher figure that is thought to imitate the cutting action of scissors.
Michael Alpert
of the klezmer band Brave Old World
has written the following description of the dance:
"The sher (also called sherele) is one of the most popular and widespread East European Jewish figure dances. Dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the American square dance, the Russian kadril [quadrille] and other urban and rural figure dances originating in northern and central Europe of the past 150 years. Calling for individual, couple and group participation, the sher functions as one of the richest venues for both social interaction and individual expression in the East European Jewish dance repertoire." (from "Sher #1 (Pessl's Sher)," Unpublished article provided in support of a presentation made by Michael Alpert in Kradow, 1994.)
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, notably Klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
music.
The sher is a set dance
Set dance
Set dancing, sometimes called "country sets", are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland. Set dances are based on quadrilles. The latter were court dances which were transformed by the Irish into a unique folk dance of the Irish rural communities...
in 4/4 march-like tempo. The set is made up of four couples in a square formation, similar to a quadrille
Quadrille
Quadrille is a historic dance performed by four couples in a square formation, a precursor to traditional square dancing. It is also a style of music...
or square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
formation. There are many figures used, such as couples advancing, retiring, changing places, couples visiting, circling, threading the needle, etc. The "sher" figure involves two opposite men advancing towards each other and then crossing past each other turning as the pass. "Sher" means "scissors
Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
" (and "sherele" is "small scissors") in Yiddish, and the name of the dance may come from the sher figure that is thought to imitate the cutting action of scissors.
Michael Alpert
Michael Alpert
Michael Alpert is a klezmer singer and multi-instrumentalist and has been called a key figure in the klezmer revival of the 1970s and 1980s....
of the klezmer band Brave Old World
Brave Old World
Brave Old World is an international klezmer band formed in 1989.Members hail from the US and Germany. The Washington Post called Brave Old World "the revival's first supergroup. Every player is a virtuoso"....
has written the following description of the dance:
"The sher (also called sherele) is one of the most popular and widespread East European Jewish figure dances. Dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the American square dance, the Russian kadril [quadrille] and other urban and rural figure dances originating in northern and central Europe of the past 150 years. Calling for individual, couple and group participation, the sher functions as one of the richest venues for both social interaction and individual expression in the East European Jewish dance repertoire." (from "Sher #1 (Pessl's Sher)," Unpublished article provided in support of a presentation made by Michael Alpert in Kradow, 1994.)