Rad Yiddish and Marching Disorder Present:

KLEZMER JAM & YIDDISH DANCE with Martin van de Ven & freygl gertsovski!

📅 Saturday, June 27 @ 2:00-4:30PM

📍HIGH PARK NATURE CENTRE - Side Porch --- 375 Colborne Lodge Dr, Toronto, ON M6P 3K7

2:00PM - Set up your instruments

2:30PM - Learn a new klezmer tune from Martin

2:45-4:30PM - Jamming & Dancing

🎻 MUSICIANS:

Grab your instrument and join us at Taco, Taco for Rad Yiddish & Marching Disorder's inaugural Klezmer Jam & Yiddish Dance!

--We'll start with Martin teaching a tune, then play through the rest of the tunes on the set list for the rest of the jam (with a midway break), starting with easier tunes

--Every month we'll share the charts ahead of time.

--We'll play through all or some of these tunes, and change up the order depending on jam attendee request

--Some printed copies of the charts will be available at the jam; bring your own stand if you want to look at sheet music.

💃 DANCERS / AUDIENCE:

Not a musician? freygl gertsovski will lead Yiddish dance. NO experience necessary!

--Come learn the dance steps that go with klezmer music! Yiddish dance is a social folk dance danced in circles, squares, and lines.

--freygl will lead us in various dances such as freylekhs, zhoks, bulgars, and turkishers.

--Yiddish dance can be modified for those using mobility devices or need to dance seated, by learning the arm movements.

ACCESS

--There are accessible paved sidewalks from Bloor into the location entrance along Colborne Lodge Dr. that are flat and have ramps onto the sidewalk from the street.

--High Park Nature Centre’s Cottage and Forest School buildings are not yet AODA-compliant facilities. High Park staff attempt their best to accommodate accessibility needs on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to us about any accessibility-related questions you might have.

--The location has a front door ramp, not to code with a door that opens out and no push button

Please let us know in your registration if you have any access needs you'd like us to address.

BATHROOMS

--Closest accessible washrooms are on West Rd near the north gate entrance, including accessible stalls that are gendered.

DIRECTIONS

VIA WALKING

--The shortest and most convenient way is walk in to High Park is from the High Park North Gates. Just walk a few steps south along Colborne Lodge Drive and the Nature Centre will be on your left.

---Want to avoid getting lost? Stick to paved sidewalks and paved paths, especially if it’s your first time visiting High Park or the Nature Centre’s facilities.

VIA TTC BUS/SUBWAY

--Nearest TTC station is High Park Station (wheelchair accessible)

--It is conveniently just a 5-minute walk from the Forest School.

--Listed here are some of the bus lines to help you get to the High Park TTC Station.

30 High Park North

149 Etobicoke-Bloor

189 Stockyards

203 High Park (summer seasonal bus through High Park)

300 Bloor-Danforth Night Bus

VIA CAR

--High Park is currently closed to motorized vehicles on weekends, holidays and during the cherry blossom season.

--Closest paid parking to entrance - 1830 Bloor Street Parking- Precise ParkLink

WORKSHOP LEADER BIOS

A mainstay of the Canadian klezmer scene, Martin van de Ven (he/him) performs with Canada’s hottest klezmer band, Beyond the Pale. A unique stylist, he brings fire, elegance, and humour to his performances with the award-winning group. He has composed, arranged, and directed performances for Toronto production companies including Jumblies Theatre, Theatre Columbus, Queen of Pudding Theatre, and the Ashkenaz Foundation.

Over the past decade, he has written a number of choral works in collaboration with Jumblies Theatre director Ruth Howard. He has also collaborated as composer and arranger with Beth Anne Cole on her recent album, Perhaps the Gods of Love. Martin recently retired from his work as a music teacher with the Toronto District School Board and is now an active freelance musician.

freygl gertsovski פֿרעיגל גערצאָװסקי (fae/faer/faers | פֿײ/פֿער/פֿײער) is the founder and director of Rad Yiddish. As a cultural organizer and multi-disciplinary writer, fae focuses on heritage reclamation and cultural production at the intersections of queerness, disability, post-Soviet identity, and Yiddishkayt.

freygl has been participating in Yiddish dance at Yiddish programs and cultural festivals since 2018 and lay-leads Yiddish dancing for faer community. fae is passionate about fostering opportunities for cultural belonging and participation through accessible and inclusive events, including Yiddish dancing for all abilities and ages.