Born on Governor's Island and raised in New York, Steve Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. From Ailey he acquired the realization that dance can be based on specific roots but still have broad human appeal. From Hawkins he acquired the understanding of how to make dance that is poetic by simply using the elements of dance creatively. Further studies include a Dance Pedagogy Certificate from Phyllis Weikert in Education Through Movement: Building the Foundation (he is a “Movement & Integrating Music Across the Curriculum” Certified Teacher), and a course in Dance for Parkinson’s Disease (Dance for PD) at the Mark Morris School in Brooklyn.
Steve now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been teaching Dance for PD for the last few years with a Judith Sachs, who introduced him to this kind of work with seniors. He was readily able to adapt his Dance for PD dances for the seniors, who embraced them enthusiastically. His experience choreographing and working with various populations enables him to develop original dances which are accessible yet a little challenging, and have catchy elements. He also successfully adapts existing dances into seated versions, including party dances like the Alley Cat and Hokey Pokey, and international folk dances. The enthusiasm and smiles of his students confirm that what he has created is more than just another exercise program.
Steve has had a long career teaching, performing, and choreographing dance in a broad spectrum of contexts and with a variety of populations. He has taught folk dance and creative movement to school children in New York (Lucy Moses School), Atlanta through the ArtsConnect program, and Chicago at the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. He has taught Israeli folk dance for senior citizens at the 92nd St. Y, choreographed a number of college and community theatre productions, also in NY, Atlanta, and Chicago, as well as choreographing and performing modern dance pieces. In the summer of 2016, in Weimar, Germany he choreographed an hour-long modern dance theater piece, Gilgul-Transformations, based on traditional movement and culture, to an original live score of new klezmer music
He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops around the world, including the former KlezKamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris, London and Weimar.
CV and references on request.
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