The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance - Polina Shepherd and Bruce Bierman

Name: The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance - Polina Shepherd and Bruce Bierman
Start: 2026-04-12T14:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-04-12T17:00:00-07:00
Location: Congregation Netivot Shalom

Schedule

Sun Apr 12 2026 at 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Congregation Netivot Shalom | Berkeley, CA

Join us on Sunday, 4/12 from 2-5pm with Polina Shepherd and Bruce Bierman! They will teach song and dance in our series Joy of Jewish Music and Dance at Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave, Berkeley.
--> Reserve your tickets in advance: https://klezcalifornia.org/events/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-041226/
During the first 2 hours we’ll have concurrent Klezmer music and Yiddish dance workshops to choose from, all levels welcome. Bring your instruments, or just bring yourself. Each workshop will teach several fundamentals.
Then participants will have a short break for snacks, and come back together to share what they’ve learned, and dance and play together.

//////////////////////// Artist Bios ///////////////////
POLINA SHEPHERD is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Siberia, now living in Brighton, United Kingdom. Polina is a powerhouse pianist vocalist with a deep repertoire and a four-octave singing range. She leads choirs, collaborates with bands, orchestras, soloists, ensembles and performs internationally. Her compositions, including music for choirs, theatre, song settings for Yiddish poems are performed all over the world. She grew up with singing at family gatherings where she accompanied her grandfather, a WWII veteran and her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of 7.
Her singing, based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folklore. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style. Whilst living in Kazan (capital of Tatarstan, Central Russia) and studying at the State Academy, Polina joined Russia′s first klezmer band after Perestroika, Simcha (1990-2000). She soon became the principal Yiddish choir leader of the former Soviet Union, composing original material for large groups of voices and touring internationally with her Quartet Ashkenazim (1991-2007). Check her website for more extensive listings of her subsequent accomplishments and accolades, and catch her in this rare Berkeley teaching stop! www.polinashepherd.co.uk

BRUCE BIERMAN is a celebrated Jewish dance leader and maven known for his joyful, inclusive, and whimsical approach to teaching. With warmth, humor, and a deep love of tradition, Bruce gets everyone on the dance floor—circling, spiraling, and connecting through dances rooted in Yemenite, Mizrachi, Chasidic, Sephardic, Klezmer and classic Israeli traditions. His transformative dance workshops have brought communities together across the West Coast, inviting dancers of all backgrounds to rediscover the ecstasy and soul at the heart of Jewish culture. Where there is Bruce, there is truly a party—and an unforgettable experience of movement, music, and connection.