Beta Dance Troupe

Join the Jewish Federation for an all-new international dance performance by the Beta Dance Troupe, a group of Ethiopian Jews from Haifa, Israel!  You won't want to miss this amazing troupe's "eskesta," or shoulder dancing, at their one-night-only performance at Benaroya Hall on October 18 at 7pm.

Tickets are just $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors and students. 

More information on the Beta Dance Troupe

Beta Dance Troupe (beta is an Amharic word meaning, "house") presents a unique program of traditional Ethiopian Jewish dance (mainly "eskesta" – shoulder dancing – an Ethiopian traditional dance) and original contemporary dance based on the culture of Ethiopian Jewry. Dr. Ruth Eshel and the dancers went on a joint trip to uncover their community's treasure of dance-movements, by focusing on their natural language of motion, imagery and history.

Beta was established in 2005 by Dr. Ruth Eshel who, ten years earlier, had created the Eskesta Dance Theater, composed of students of Ethiopian origin studying at the University of Haifa. The group is composed of 8-10 dancers living in the Haifa area.

Beyond its artistic goals, Beta has a strong commitment to Neve Yosef, a large, underprivileged community near Haifa populated by Jews from the Diaspora, with a sizable number of immigrants of Ethiopian descent. Beta has established its home and school in Neve Yosef and is fostering young Ethiopian talent.

The Beta Dance Troupe has appeared in both in Israel and abroad to enthusiastic reviews.

For more information about this troupe, please visit their website by clicking here.

Ethiopian Jewry

Ethiopian Jewry, the Beta-Israel community, was often known by the name "Falasha," which in Amharic means foreigner and is a term of derision given them by Ethiopians. No one knew of the community’s existence for hundreds of years. Prior to the Christian era in Ethiopia, a Jewish kingdom is said to have existed in the region of Axum in northwest Ethiopia. For three centuries, from the 13th-16th, the Jews of Ethiopia did battle with the Christians who tried to force them to convert. The last independent stronghold of the community, in the Semien mountains, fell in the 17th century. Many Jews converted to Christianity; but a minority, who lived in small villages, maintained their Judaism under difficult conditions of persecution.

Like Jews elsewhere around the world, the Jews of Ethiopia danced the dances of the people with whom they lived. Most Ethiopian Jews resided in the area of Gondar in northern Ethiopia. This region was the home of the Amhara nationality, known for its shoulder dances, called eskesta, the original troupe's namesake. In eskesta, the shoulders undulate and the dance gains speed and intensity.

The Ethiopian Jewish liturgical tradition has been handed down primarily orally over the generations, and is performed from memory. There are also parchment manuscripts containing texts and collections of prayers for various occasions.

The community religious leaders and liturgical experts are the Kess (meaning "priest" in Amharic). Prayers are chanted responsively, in complex overlapping melodic patterns, combining solo and choral performance. Prayers are often accompanied (except on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur) by musical instruments. Rhythmic swaying body movements often accompany the performance. The language of the prayers is Ge'ez, a Semitic language which is also the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Christian Church.

For more information about this fantastic troupe, Ethiopian Jewry, or Israel events, please contact Rachel Schachter, Israel Programs Manager, at RachelS [at] JewishInSeattle [dot] org or 206 774-2236.