ABSTRACT
Dancer, teacher, and choreographer Ruth Eshel has worked extensively with the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel (known as Falashas or Beta Israel), developing a creative process and contemporary choreographic approach to the traditional Ethiopian eskesta (shoulder dancing). Discussion of selected dances and different choreographic methods reveals a number of issues and responses arising in the course of this fifteen-year artistic journey. Questions and experiences uncovered through this exploration offer perspectives on cultural formation and preservation specific to the Beta Israel but also more broadly applicable to other immigrant groups, beyond the population and work discussed here.
