Miriam’s tanz– acrylic, latex and metallic on canvas, 18″x46″, 2024
Miriam’s Tanz (Miriam’s Dance) was the winning entry of my synagogues 2024 Pesach greeting card contest. After 2 weeks of sitting in the middle of a growing pile of crumpled up paper ideas, everything from a holiday table from bird’s eye view, another Seder dish design, or four cups? I finally asked: what Passover means to me and what parts of the story aren’t getting the airplay they deserve?
I forgo paper books, prefering an online haggadah website which allows me to combine liberal, secular, modern and traditional passages, pictures, and videos. This way, we can project it on the living room T.V. It’s the perfect solution for a neurodiverse friendly seder.
The video I use to accompany Miriam’s cup, is “Wade in the Water” from Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations”. Judith Jamison (1943-2024) was the renown dancer and choreographer of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and embodies my inspiration of Miriam, dancing across the opening lines of the Mi Chamocha.