Ershter Vals —
Ershter Vals (First Waltz) had its beginnings in the Richmond Ballet 2009 New Work Festival and was finished in the fall of 2010, receiving critical and audience acclaim along the way.
	Ershter Vals was inspired partly by Hollywood films about World War ll, and partly by music originating in the Jewish ghettos of the time. The work portrays the light people find in relationships and communities, and celebrates the moments of brightness that can still shine in the midst of dark times. The ballet weaves folk dance influences with classical technique while carrying a penetrating message of redemption.
		Choreographer
	
		Ma Cong
	
		Music
	
		Klezroym
	
		Es iz a klug, Rumkovski khaym
	
		Kalt: a lid fin lodzger getto (from the album Yankele Nel Ghetto)
	
		Ershter Vals, Fel Shara (from the album Klezroym)