Hadassah Spira Epstein

Hadassah Spira Epstein (December 30, 1909 – November 18, 1992), professional name Hadassah, was a Jerusalem-born American dancer, choreographer, and instructor specializing in Indian, Javanese, Balinese, and Jewish dance. Credited as a pioneer of Indian and Israeli dance in the United States, and was particularly impressed with Ted Shawn, who was known for his Whirling Dervish.

Hadassah and Company

Hadassah started her own dance company, Hadassah and Company, which staged its first performance at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan on June 4, 1950. For the Gandhi centenary celebration in 1969, Hadassah choreographed Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech as a dance/theatre work, reflecting the influence of Gandhi's philosophy on King. Besides encouraging her to study Asian dance, Epstein managed Hadassah's career and often lectured at her performances. In 1995, Milton Epstein donated her papers from 1938 to 1988 to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at the New York Public Library.