Bruce Bierman

Bruce Bierman is a graduate of the U.C. Santa Cruz Theater Arts program and is a celebrated Jewish dance master, teaching artist, and theater director in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Bruce has studied under the guidance of a handful of some of the great Jewish dance masters including legendary Felix Fibich, who passed down to him his choreographic work with the Hebrew alphabet. Bruce was a leading performer and teacher with the acclaimed Aman Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles and currently serves on the faculty of the groundbreaking Stagebridge Theater Company in Oakland. Recently, Bruce was enlisted as Yiddish dance dramaturg for the Tony Award-winning play, ‘Indecent’ at both the Arena Stage and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Bruce directed and choreographed the Yiddish musical, The Megilleh of Itzik Manger for the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival, and is set to direct the Yiddish Theatre Ensemble’s upcoming production of Sholem Asch’s original God of Vengeance. He currently has an artist fellowship with LABA East Bay – A Laboratory for New Jewish Culture. You can contact Bruce at jewishdance@yahoo.com.

We are very excited and fortunate that Bruce’s husband and professional dancer Gilberto Melendez will be joining us this weekend for surprise performances and co-leading classes!! Gilberto Melendez began his career as a dancer in Managua, Nicaragua as the most sought-after dance partner for every fiesta in town.  Upon arrival in Los Angeles, he focused his studies on ballet, flamenco and tango as a student of some of the leading teachers in their fields including:  Sonya Van Beer, the prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet, and master flamenco teacher Roberto Amaral. Performance credits include:  Principal dancer in El Gato Montes starring Placido Domingo, The Nutcracker with the Palos Verdes Ballet, and The Megilleh of Itzik Manger with the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival. Gilberto also serves on the staff of Lighthouse for the Blind and performs and co-leads the Joy of Jewish Dance workshops with his husband, Bruce Bierman.