The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance. Berkeley, CA, USA
2026-04-12 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94702, United States
BOOK HERE
READ MORE HERE
Join the October-May monthly series celebrating The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance! Great for musicians, dancers, and enthusiasts to meet, learn, play, shmooze, or simply to take in the beauty of these rich traditions. Bring your instruments and dancing shoes.
For the April 12, 2026 session, music will be taught by Polina Shepherd. Read more about our instructors below.
Session format: During the first 90 minutes, participants choose between instruction in music or dance corresponding to the music. Then after a short break, musicians and dancers are brought together to perform what they’ve learned. Extra time after that continues the dance party or shifts into informal jam or instruction.
Basic instrumental proficiency is recommended for musicians. All instruments, singers, and dancers are welcome.
Tickets are $25 – $54 sliding scale. Online ticket sales will end on Friday, April 10 at noon. If not sold out, tickets may be purchased at the door. Kids 18 and under can attend free. No one turned away for lack of funds. Arrange volunteer/trade or reduced price entry in advance, or with the person at the door.
Additional donations are welcome to help sustain, grow, and cover the cost of this series. Additional donations would help cover travel costs of out of town instructors and many costs that are currently offset by donations.
The series is made possible by volunteer time and expertise of organizers Mike Perlmutter, Zina Pozen, and Bruce Bierman, as well as the financial support of Noah Youngs, Amos Lans, and other generous individuals, fiscal sponsorship and support by KlezCalifornia. We are grateful to our past host Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud and the JCC East Bay, and to our new hosts at Congregation Netivot Shalom.
Direct questions about the series to: JOY@KlezCalifornia.org

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Interwoven: Phoebe Vlassis, Polina Shepherd & Members of Kitka. Oakland, CA, USA
2026-04-12 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | St Paul Lutheran Church, 1658 Excelsior Avenue, Oakland, CA, CA 94602, United States
An evening of songs inspired by textile arts.

The Kitka Institute and Glenview Classical Series present
INTERWOVEN
An evening of songs inspired by textile arts.
BOOK HERE
Artwork: Hung Liu, Woman Working: Loom (1999) National Museum of Women in the Arts

INTERWOVEN brings together three visionary forces in an evening of music inspired by the artistry of textile traditions. Greek weaver-musician Phoebe Vlassis transforms her loom into a percussive instrument, spinning rhythm and song into a living tapestry of sound. Siberian-born composer and vocalist Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd reimagines East European Jewish, Slavic, and Tatar folk heritage through original compositions and daring, spinning improvisations. Joining them are members of Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble, Oakland’s renowned women’s vocal ensemble celebrated for forty-five seasons of fearless exploration of Balkan, Baltic, Caucasian, Mediterranean, and Slavic vocal traditions. Together, these artists weave voice, rhythm, memory, and innovation into a radiant sonic fabric—where ancient threads are interlaced with bold contemporary expression.
Audience members will be invited to raise their voices and become a part of the sonic tapestry.
$30 per person suggested donation. Please consider a more generous pay-it-forward contribution if you are able, otherwise, pay what you can. NOTAFLOF, but a donation is required to reserve a seat.

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KlezNorth. Youlgrave, Derbyshire, UK
2026-04-17 - 2026-04-19 | Youlgrave Village Hall, Holywell Lane, Youlgrave, Bakewell, DE45 1UT, United Kingdom
KlezNorth is an annual festival of Klezmer music, dance and song welcoming both Jewish and non-Jewish people to the wonderful world of Klezmer. KlezNorth is based in Derbyshire, but in this context, “North” regularly includes the Midlands, the Southwest, Wales and Scotland, the North East, East Anglia, and, dare we say, London and the South East. We have a few overseas participants as well.
Read more and book here.
Led by brass player Frank London, all the way from the USA, and singer Polina Shepherd we have Gica Loening on fiddle, Avia Moore teaching dance, Sanne Möricke on accordion and the always amazing Michael Alpert.
The full range of workshops and workshop leaders in 2026 will be announced as the programme is finalised.
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Songs of the Spring Meadow with Slavic Voices. St Leonards-on-Sea, UK
2026-04-26 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | kino-teatr, 43-49 Norman Road, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0EG, United Kingdom
Kino-Teatr, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 0EQ

Sunday 26th April 2026 3:00PM

Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian. Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, presented with great attention to cultural context, history and style. Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.

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Her:Kol – Yiddish Women’s Song Cultures. Weimar. Germany
2026-08-01 - 2026-08-08
Her:Kol – Yiddish Women’s Song Cultures. New musical settings of Yiddish women’s poetry by contemporary women composer / performers of Yiddish music. This will be part of Yiddish Summer Weimar Festival week. Polina Shepherd will be one of the featured artists. Watch this space for more.
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Festival of Song concert in Lewes, UK. TBA
2026-10-31 21:00 - 23:00 UTC
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo concert for Festival of Song
Late night series
More information is coming soon
Klezmer music and more.
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