The Gurit Kadman Collection features historical footage of folk dancing shot in Israel during the 1950s and sixties. Kadman was a dancer, choreographer, and pioneer in the field of Israeli folk and ethnic dancing who took it upon herself to document the traditional, indigenous dances of Jewish immigrants from places like Kurdistan, Kochi, Morocco, the Libyan Desert, and the Atlas Mountains. The collection features a wide range of traditional, multiethnic dancing, including a wealth of Yemeni video content such as Habbani dancing at the Ein-Shemer migrant camp just after Operation Magic Carpet, dance routines from Yemen’s Yarim region filmed at a Rosh-Ha’ain migrant camp, and dancing from Yemeni capital, Sana’a shot at immigrant village, Abu Shusha near kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek.
This is a film collection of immense historical significance in that it brings to forefront the full, rich range of diverse movements, routines, costumes, and rhythms and ultimately stands out as an invaluable source of information for scholars, filmmakers, students, museums, various organisations, etc. The collection is the property of Gurit Kadman who has entrusted it in the hands of the Israeli Film Archive. The Archive is in charge of its maintenance and management, scientific preservation, and accessibility to the general public.
