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Rivka Sturman
Rivka Sturman (Hebrew: רבקה שטורמן; 17 January 1903 – 2001) was an Israeli choreographer known for the creation of around 150 new folk dances.
Rivka Weinwurzel was born in Warsaw, which was then under the control of the Russian Empire, to Ya'akov and Genia Weinwurzel. She had six older siblings: two brothers and four sisters. In 1905, Weinwurzel's family moved to Leipzig, Germany, where her father worked as a lace merchant and her mother assisted with lace sales. As a teenager, she met choreographer Gurit Kadman. Weinwurzel completed high school at a Jewish school founded by Ephraim Carlebach.
In the 1920s, she studied in Leipzig to become a kindergarten teacher. She also studied agriculture at a farm near Berlin. She studied modern dance in both Leipzig and Berlin. While studying in Berlin, she met veterinary student Menahem Sturman, whom she would later marry. At this time she also joined HeHalutz, a Zionist youth movement.
Sturman visited Mandatory Palestine in 1925, staying with Menachem's family in Nahalal and Kfar Giladi. During her year-long stay, she encountered the hora as the primary dance of Jewish residents in the area. After returning to Berlin, Sturman studied anatomy and orthopedics and raised funds for Keren Hayesod.
In 1929, Sturman and her husband emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, where they lived in the kibbutz of Kfar Yehezkel. It was here that Rivka Sturman began choreographing dance pieces. Menachem became the veterinarian of the kibbutzim in the Jezreel Valley.
Sturman returned to Berlin from 1931 to 1933, where she studied therapeutic gymnastics. She returned to Kfar Yehezkel in 1933, and in 1937 she and her husband moved to Ein Harod. Sturman continued to study dance, now working with instructors in Tel Aviv, including Gertrud Kraus, Paula Padani, and Tehilla Ressler. Sturman began choreographing plays put on at kibbutz Geva. Throughout the 1930s, Sturman was also introduced to Arabic dance and music through Menachem's brother, Chaim, who spoke Arabic and was often invited to Arab celebrations.
Sturman and her husband had two children: Dalia (1934–1983) and Hayyim (b. 1938). Sturman died in Ein Harod in 2001.
Sturman became interested in creating new folk dances in 1942, after seeing some of her daughter's young classmates dancing to a German song. At the time, Israeli dance primarily consisted of dances that had been created in diaspora, and largely in the Slavic and Balkan regions. The type of Zionism in En-Harod strove to "negate the Diaspora," so Sturman became inspired to create new Jewish folk dances for the residents of En-Harod and beyond. That year, Sturman choreographed her first folk dance, titled Ha-Goren (The Barn Floor or threshing floor), to music composed by Emanuel Amiran with words by Sara Levi Tanai. That dance and another, Ha-ro'im, was performed at Geva's high school graduation, among other newly invented folk dances.
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Rivka Sturman
Rivka Sturman (Hebrew: רבקה שטורמן; 17 January 1903 – 2001) was an Israeli choreographer known for the creation of around 150 new folk dances.
Rivka Weinwurzel was born in Warsaw, which was then under the control of the Russian Empire, to Ya'akov and Genia Weinwurzel. She had six older siblings: two brothers and four sisters. In 1905, Weinwurzel's family moved to Leipzig, Germany, where her father worked as a lace merchant and her mother assisted with lace sales. As a teenager, she met choreographer Gurit Kadman. Weinwurzel completed high school at a Jewish school founded by Ephraim Carlebach.
In the 1920s, she studied in Leipzig to become a kindergarten teacher. She also studied agriculture at a farm near Berlin. She studied modern dance in both Leipzig and Berlin. While studying in Berlin, she met veterinary student Menahem Sturman, whom she would later marry. At this time she also joined HeHalutz, a Zionist youth movement.
Sturman visited Mandatory Palestine in 1925, staying with Menachem's family in Nahalal and Kfar Giladi. During her year-long stay, she encountered the hora as the primary dance of Jewish residents in the area. After returning to Berlin, Sturman studied anatomy and orthopedics and raised funds for Keren Hayesod.
In 1929, Sturman and her husband emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, where they lived in the kibbutz of Kfar Yehezkel. It was here that Rivka Sturman began choreographing dance pieces. Menachem became the veterinarian of the kibbutzim in the Jezreel Valley.
Sturman returned to Berlin from 1931 to 1933, where she studied therapeutic gymnastics. She returned to Kfar Yehezkel in 1933, and in 1937 she and her husband moved to Ein Harod. Sturman continued to study dance, now working with instructors in Tel Aviv, including Gertrud Kraus, Paula Padani, and Tehilla Ressler. Sturman began choreographing plays put on at kibbutz Geva. Throughout the 1930s, Sturman was also introduced to Arabic dance and music through Menachem's brother, Chaim, who spoke Arabic and was often invited to Arab celebrations.
Sturman and her husband had two children: Dalia (1934–1983) and Hayyim (b. 1938). Sturman died in Ein Harod in 2001.
Sturman became interested in creating new folk dances in 1942, after seeing some of her daughter's young classmates dancing to a German song. At the time, Israeli dance primarily consisted of dances that had been created in diaspora, and largely in the Slavic and Balkan regions. The type of Zionism in En-Harod strove to "negate the Diaspora," so Sturman became inspired to create new Jewish folk dances for the residents of En-Harod and beyond. That year, Sturman choreographed her first folk dance, titled Ha-Goren (The Barn Floor or threshing floor), to music composed by Emanuel Amiran with words by Sara Levi Tanai. That dance and another, Ha-ro'im, was performed at Geva's high school graduation, among other newly invented folk dances.