Lectures
Dance and Activism
Tzaphira Stern, dance activist and scholar, holds an M.A. from the Jerusalem Dance Academy and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies at the Hebrew University.
With a deep-rooted commitment to social justice, I infuse my lectures with my experience as a choreographer, activist, and rigorous academic researcher. I draw upon my broad range of knowledge to explore the power of dance as a tool for social change.
My research focuses on dance in the Jerusalem public sphere as a form of political imagination. My lectures aim to inspire and empower audiences to engage with dance as a tool of critical thinking.
How can dance impact social change?
This lecture, aimed at students in the arts, dance, and culture, looks into the function of dance as a method of activism. We will investigate how dance influences social and political issues concerning gender, ethnicity, and identity - through various forms, such as performances, community dancing, and protest movements.
The lecture draws from my dance activist experiences and academic studies (M.A. in choreography, P.Hd student in cultural studies). It will include a visual presentation featuring videos and photographs and optionally can also have an interactive element where participants engage in movement together.
Photo: Hanan Bar Assouline
Gender Exclusion from Public Space
How do public space dance performances create political debate over gender freedoms in Israel?
We will explore examples of how dance collides with extreme religious norms of public space.
This lecture is based on my activism and ongoing doctoral research in curating, first presented at the 2023 Women and Gender in Art Conference at Tel Aviv University.
Dancing Pandemic
What were the unique movement forms created during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how did they manifest in dance?
In this lecture, I analyze two Juxtaposing positions of choreography and co(i) community through the works of Dana Hirsh Leizar's "About Blindness" and Omer Krieger's "AMPHI."
This presentation is grounded in my academic article, published in the 2023 MABATIM Visual Culture journal from Ben-Gurion University. It was initially delivered at the 2022 MANOFIM Contemporary Art Conference and the Dance Studies Association 2022 convention: Dancing Resilience. Vancouver, Canada.
What has been the role of choreography and performance in the growing protest movement in Israel since 2020?
We will explore the PINK FRONT, Handmaid's Tale, Hole in The Bucket, and other Performance and dance protests.
This lecture was delivered at the 2024 annual conference of the Israeli Anthropological Association. The Dance Studies Association & The Society for Dance Research Conference Symposium. September 2023, London, United Kingdom, and the 14th Linguistic Landscapes Workshop, Sept. 2023, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid.
How can movement and dance be used as a third language to negotiate shared spaces of peace between Israelis and Palestinians?
I discuss the successes and failures of my "Dance for a Change" project, working with women in East Jerusalem community centers.
Drawing on my work as a dance teacher and activist, this lecture was first presented at the Dance Studies Association Conference 2024: Cartographies of Movement, Buenos Aires.
These lectures about dance and social action are for students in dance, art, and cultural studies, as well as NGO civil, culture, and women's organizations and community centers.
Photos and videos accompany each lecture and can include a short, engaging movement activity that allows the audience to explore how dance can strengthen community bonds and inspire positive action.
I can give lectures in English or Hebrew and adapt the content and academic level to different audiences: adults, senior citizens, and college and high school students.
To arrange a lecture in person or via Zoom, contact me at:
tzaphira@gmail.com or text +972-58-472-1257.