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Handkerchief in Russian Dance


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I understand that the use of the handkerchief in Russian folk dance goes back to its use in old traditional wedding ceremonies with the lucky couple each holding the diagonally opposite corner of the handkerchief, to the flirtatious use (to catch or torment a man) in other traditional folk dances.

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In ultra Orthodox Judaism now, at a wedding celebration the sexes are segregated, usually with a screen separating the men and women. The bride and groom are raised on chairs, and each holds an end of the handkerchief, the only time during the reception that they see each other, and, of course, they are not permitted to touch in public.

The ritual is performed at many Jewish weddings of all persuasions, but the purpose in ultra Orthodox Judaism is still the same.

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The handkerchief is used a lot in Grigorovich's "Ivan the Terrible." In Act 1 during the entrance of the young noblewomen, a silk white handkerchief is tied to their right index fingers. It also appears in the Pelotas in Act 3 of "Raymonda." During La Scala's live broadcast of the reconstruction last October on RAI, the lead couple briefly danced with a long white one in the middle of the czardas, before discarding it before the presto. One of the children was tasked with picking it up after the lead male threw it upstage.

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In ultra Orthodox Judaism now, at a wedding celebration the sexes are segregated, usually with a screen separating the men and women. The bride and groom are raised on chairs, and each holds an end of the handkerchief, the only time during the reception that they see each other, and, of course, they are not permitted to touch in public.

The ritual is performed at many Jewish weddings of all persuasions, but the purpose in ultra Orthodox Judaism is still the same.

They use a screen now? I have not been to one in years, and of course, the sexes were separated, but not by physical barriers.

I was thinking of "Fiddler on the Roof", which I saw close to 40 years ago...(ouch).

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In ultra Orthodox Judaism now, at a wedding celebration the sexes are segregated, usually with a screen separating the men and women. The bride and groom are raised on chairs, and each holds an end of the handkerchief, the only time during the reception that they see each other, and, of course, they are not permitted to touch in public.

The ritual is performed at many Jewish weddings of all persuasions, but the purpose in ultra Orthodox Judaism is still the same.

They use a screen now? I have not been to one in years, and of course, the sexes were separated, but not by physical barriers.

I was thinking of "Fiddler on the Roof", which I saw close to 40 years ago...(ouch).

The key word is ultra Orthodox, usually this indicates one of the Hasidic sects. Modern Orthodox Jewish weddings might have the sexes segregated at the ceremony, but wouldn't at the reception.

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