This entry is part of the Lexicon of Klezmer Terminology (LKT). The LKT compiles a wide array of source materials that shed light on the historical and contemporary state of knowledge about klezmer music. Each entry includes a number of citations from primary and secondary sources that include or refers to the term in question. It also indicates whether musical notation or sound recordings are included in the source. By clicking on the bibliographic hyperlink at the end of each citation, you get the full reference.
“The [beroyges] dance ended, the song was stopped. The groom approached and covered the face of the bride with a veil and the klezmorim struck up a merry march of ‘badekns’ and the community began to head towards the khupe.” [Zambrow, Poland, c. 1906]. [Note: The full text of this source is a nearly identical description of the same exact wedding excerpted below as Levinsky 1963]. Ben-Yisrael 1960, pp. 28-29.
Beregovski 1937 [= Beregovski/Slobin 1982, p. 546].
“Beroyges-tants.” Beregovski/Goldin 1987, #222. (Musical notation included).
“‘Tsu a beroyges-tants.’ This was sung to a beroyges-tants with a beautiful melody.” [Warsaw, Poland, pre-World War I]. Cahan 1957, p. 490 (#223). (Musical notation included).
“It must be acknowledged, that among our large masses, for a long time now the folkdance has been accompanied by singing; and not only to [modern couple dances such as] the polka did people improvise and sing songs, but also to the polonaise, quadrille, waltz, raynlender, mazurka, sher, broyges-tants and others.” Cahan 1952b, p. 89.
“Broiges tanz...This dance of Broiges (anger) was a favorite performed at weddings. Sometimes a husband and wife would dance it...Since this dance is from the middle century and, therefore, mixed dancing was banned, most often it was performed by two women...” Chochem and Roth 1978, p. 66. (Musical notation and recording references included).
“Broyges Tanz, [a dance of] a man and a woman portraying quarrel and reconciliation.” EncyJud 1971, p. 1266.
“The ‘beroyges’ and ‘shalom’ dances [are] two Jewish weddings dances that were widespread in Eastern European Jewish communities, and [formed] part of the style of primary dances that introduced the meal and welcome during typical wedding ceremonies in these countries. It is possible and accurate to define these two dances as one with two motives; the motive of the ‘beroyges’ and that of the ‘sholem’... There are even scholars who want to add and classify along with the... ‘beroyges’ dance and ‘sholem’ dance, the dances found under the names ‘semene,’ ‘shemene,’ or ‘semele,’ and ‘shemele’... When looking at these last dances, outside of sources found in [Eastern European Jewish] folk song, we have nothing about this style, no definitive portrait...
[One such example is this song of Eliokum Tzunser:] ‘Women, clap! Take pleasure that both mothers-in-law are dancing a shemele.’ If a man such as Eliokum Tzunser sang a dance song like this at weddings, it is certain that it was performed during the dances under the name ‘shemele.’ And we learn another thing from these two short verses, that it was a dance of the mothers-in-law and that it appears to have been of the style that is called... ‘patsh-tants,’ [which] would be danced with hand-clapping, a style of dances that was very widespread in Jewish weddings. The scholar and musicologist Moshe Beregovski, who brings these two verses from Zunser’s song, learns from it that this was apparently a solo dance for the mothers-in-law alone, and this leads him to the additional conclusion that, at least in the 70s and 80s of the previous century, this dance was widespread in the region of Vilna... [and all of] Eastern Europe...
I have no depiction of the ‘shemele’ dance [from among all of the sources]... The dance steps and movements were generally the result of free improvisation... In Riteva [northwest of Kovno], Lithuania the ‘beroyges’ and ‘shalom’ dances were done during the general dancing time that was ordered by the group dancing with the klezmorim after the meal, and in Zambrov it was said [that] the dance was performed before the covering of the bride...
In the record of writer Yakov Tsusmer, ‘One Hundred Years Ago’ he comes with events that were customary in his shtetl Gingubka (or Zinifka) in Podalia and the neighboring towns, and he specifies twenty-two dances. He recalls separately the ‘beroyges’ dance and the ‘mekhutonim’ dance which in the last instance he describes as the dance for principals from each side... without the intrusion of outsiders...
In the town of Turun in the Carpathians [c. 1957]... especially at a wedding it was typical to entertain the bride with dance and especially with the ‘beroyges’ dance. In this dance, she would make up with the friends and even dance out with the in-laws. The dance would occur, in this town, after the meal when the guests were invited to dance to the klezmorim.
[In another description, from a wedding of Lithuanian Jews in America, c. 1959:] The guests stand in a large circle with the couple in the center of them. The man... falls a number of times on his knees before [the woman]... in gestures of a plea for...peace, she twisting away from him. This scene repeats itself about ten times...[and stretches into a dance and eventually at the end] the crowd joins them, and they too begin to turn in a slow circle dancing around them, when the ‘klezmorim’ play the traditional folk song for this scene, ‘Lomir zikh iberbetn’ [Let’s make up] and the community joins them in song and dance for a long time.
In the city of Karmenitz, the ‘beroyges’ dance is arranged before the covering of the bride. At this time they order many dances for the bride...they would designate this time for the performance of various dances, since immediately after the khupe a meal was arranged and dances with the ‘klezmorim’ with the groom and the men only with no contact with the women.
Also in the essay of Samuel Rappaport, on the religious life of Eastern European Jews, he records that the ‘beroyges’ dance, was arranged during the signing of the ketuba among the men (the time before covering the bride), this was the time [when] the women and maidens, dance various different dances with the bride, among them also ... the ‘beroyges’ dance, danced here by a pair of girls. The dance was done to a melody that was in 2/4 time...” Fridhaber 1972, pp. 31-36.
“One of the most beautiful dances performed on Lag Ba-Omer is the ‘Tehias Hamesimtants’ (‘Revival of the Dead). The dance is performed by two people and is a choreographed story in three pictures. (The dance is sometimes performed in pure pantomime.)... The ‘Revival of the Dead,’ which consists of three parts (friendship and fight, resuscitation, joy after man revives), is accompanied by three separate melodies. The first part of the dance is accompanied by (1) two melodies of the Rumanian gypsy doyna and (2) the melody of the ‘Beroiges’ danec, popularly known as the ‘Beroiges Tants’ (one of the Jewish wedding dances). The second and third parts of the dance are done to doyna melodies.” [Lag B’Omer, Meron, Israel, 1960s-70s]. Fridhaber 1975, pp. 29-30.
“One of the most beautiful dances on display during this event is no doubt the ‘techiat ha-metim’ dance, or in popular language ‘tekhies hameysim tants.’ A pair of dancers execute this dance the whole of which consists of a choreographic story in three scenes:... This dance is [divided] into three parts, borrowing three different melodies, the first section of the dance performed to the ‘doyne’ melody, which is also practically the melody of the ‘beroyges tants’ dance...” [Lag B’Omer, Meron, Israel, 1960s-70s]. Fridhaber 1978a, p. 8.
“[When the bride was dressed,] Hersh the Klezmer came then with his whole band including cymbals and a drum. He struck up a sher, a polke, a beroyges-tants. This time the in-laws also danced.”[ Kremenits, Poland, pre-World War II]. Gilernt 1954, p. 386.
“These dances--the beroyges dance (beroyges tants) and the sholem dance (sholem tants)--were intended for women that were in a perpetual state of quarrel...After the meal the klezmorim begin with their melodies and first of all the traditional dances: ‘the beroyges dance’ (beroyges tants) and the ‘sholem dance’ (sholem tants) or as it is also called ‘shemene tants’...And there are in the sholem dance (the shemene) the changes in the the movements and thus movements of friendship, love...all accompanied by the melody.”[Ritova, Lithuania, pre-World War II]. Grod 1947, pp. 165-68. (Musical notation included).
“Conversely, no individual dances are accompanied by anything other than a melody from the niggun-Meron genre, except perhaps the ‘beroyges-tants’ which is danced to a Romanian tune...’Beroyges-tants’ (beroyges = angry) describes an argument between two people.” [Lag B’Omer, Meron, Israel, 1960s-70s]. Hadju 1971, pp. 82-83. (Musical notation included).
“The young people danced until daybreak...The klezmorim played all kinds of melodies for the dances...Blimtske the bath-keeper danced with Gitele ‘a beroyges tants’” [Turun, Carpathian Mountains, pre-World War II]. Hagalili 1956, p. 163.
“Broyges tants. A kind of wedding dance.” Harkavi 1928, p. 132.
“The Broygez-tanz: A dance game, mixed partners, and the handkerchief again.” Lapson 1943, p. 461.
“It was in Zembrove, in the year 1908. My grandmother, Rivke-Gitl, was angry with her old in-law Khaye Tukravitsh. She considered her youngest son Berl’s match to Khaye’s granddaughter Nekhama below his station. The fact that Nekhama was also her granddaughter didn’t help. During Berl and Nekhama’s wedding the two grandmothers had to apologize to each other, which they did by dancing an angry-dance just before the bride’s face was covered with the veil. My grandmother Rivke-Gitl, a port lady, held herself proudly. My other grandmother, Khaye, was tall, thin, and had a light step. The crowd stands around in a circle. Rivke-Gitl stands off to a, sulking, her head lowered. Khaye dances, glides toward her, with a smile on her lips. The guests sing along with the music: ‘Why are you so angry, without a reason why?/Stop sulking, smile at me, lift your head to the sky.’ Rivke-Gitl doesn’t raise her head, but moves a little further off, goes over to the other side. But Khaye chases after her, gliding like a butterfly toward Rivke-Gitl, with the little smile. The crowd keeps singing. Khaye stretches out her hands. Grandmother Rivke-Gitl withdraws her hands; she doesn’t want to make up. Khaye dances around again, from the other side. Rivke-Gitl grows a bit softer, lays her hands on her heart, and dances along, opposite Khaye. Khaye stretches her hand out again, Grandmother Rivke-Gitl shakes her head ‘No,’ and dances backward. The crowd grows more cheerful, and sings to the accompaniment of the musicians: ‘Let’s make up, the world is like a dream/Let’s make up, let us be at peace.’ Grandmother Rivke-Gitl keeps dancing, forward, toward Khaye, and Khaye toward her. Each stretches her hands out toward the other: the crowd sings, ‘Make up, make up,’ the musicians let loose, ‘Make up, make up,’ the two pairs of hands lock together, one embraces the other, and they kiss each other. The guests do not restrain themselves and sing forcefully, clapping their hands: ‘Let’s make up, make up!’ The fiddle of a musician from Tiktin blends in with a thin litle sigh, ‘make up, make up.’ as Goldetshke’s son withthe bass fiddle joins in. Khayele’s husband’s fiddle squeaks and Shimen Poyker keeps the beat: ‘Make up, make up...’ The two women enter a dance, hand on shoulder, until the rest of the wedding party arrives. The bridegroom covers the bride’s face and Sonye Batkhn from Bialystok stands on a chair to serenade the bride, accompanied by the musicians.” [Zambrov, Poland, 1908]. Levinsky 1963.
‘Beroyges tants.’ ” [Israel, 1970s]. Mazor 1974, p. 173 (#16). (Musical notation and recording references included).
“The broyges (anger) tants is usually danced by the mothers. You know they’re they ones who are most likely not to get along. They get up and dance together and they dance being mad and then making up. For the musician, the idea is to capture their emotions. The clarinetist tries to interpret and react to the dancers; if they are dancing mad, he plays a little mad, but never too far from the melody.” [New York, 1950s-1990s]. Musiker 1996, pp. 51-52. (Recording references included).
“Beroigez Tanz. Improvised dance (lit. ‘angry dance’ or ‘sulking dance’) in duple meter usually performed by mehutanim (relatives by marriage) at a wedding. Since there was hardly a wedding at which an argument did not arise, this dance became popular in Eastern Europe. Consequently, its true objective was to dance and forgive. It is characteristically played first at a moderate speed as the people dance away from each other, and then the melody is repeated in a faster and livelier tempo after they forgive and embrace. The beroigez tanz is popular today among folk dancers.” Nulman 1975, p. 33.
“Broygez Tants: Quarrel dance. Two or more participants pantomime a feud. They eventually make up, but only after several false starts.” Roskies and Roskies 1975, p. 231.
“T’khies Ha-Meysim is a modern hasidic pantomime dance in three scenes, which begins with two young men quarreling...The music to the first section is that of the Broyges Tants (Angry Dance), an old Eastern European melody which used to be performed as a separate dance.” Rubin and Ottens 1995, p. 25. (Recording references included).
“The ‘Beroiges Tants’ which today is far from the authentic was a dance for an old couple who were guests at the wedding. The wife is ‘angry’ (beroiges) at her husband and he tries to ‘bribe’ her with jewels. She finally ceases to be angry and they dance happily. Both mothers-in-law also perform this dance.” [New York, 1970s]. Seid 1975, p. 15.
“The ‘beroyges’ and ‘sholem’ dance. These old dances... were very common at the Eastern European Jewish wedding...The two antagonists, men or women—would make peace during the wedding... via the ‘beroyges dance’ and the ‘sholem dance’ after it. When the klezmorim’s violins broke into the melody of this dance, which was known to all, instantly they would form a circle and in the middle the two women... Little by little they approached each other, moving their heads, bodies, feet, and hands in time to the melody [mus. ex. 15]... They go back and forth until at the end suddenly the klezmorim change the melody and shift to the ‘sholem dance’ melody, that was also called the ‘semene’ dance or the ‘semele’ [mus. ex. 16-17]. [Ritova, Lithuania, c.1910s-1920s]. Stutschewsky 1959, p. 173. (Musical notation included).
See Mekhutonim-tants, Semene, Semele, Shemene, Shemele, and Sholem-tants.