My name is Tzaphira (Allison) Stern
Dance-Activist and Independent Researcher
I am Tzaphira (Allison) Stern, a dance teacher and researcher who leads dance projects for social change. I also translate embodied knowledge into ethnographic and reflective writing.
Starting with the protest against women's exclusion that I initiated in 2011, through founding 'Dancing for Change' in 2021, I create projects that use movement to foster political-feminist imagination in the city of Jerusalem:
Community Dance
Dance Classes for women aged 60+. Read more about the classes.
Lectures and Publications
Research and lectures on dance as a tool for activism. View my publications and lecture options.
Dance Activism
Initiating social projects to create change, such as empowering Palestinian women in East Jerusalem through movement. Read about the project.
Professional Experience
2001-2007 Independent choreographer. Dance teacher at the High School of the Arts, Jerusalem.
2001-2007 Co-founder of the Mochol-Shelem Dance Festival. Co-artistic director and producer.
2010-2018 Kolben Dance School manager and improvisation teacher.
2019 – Today, Founder of "Dance for a Change," an independent dance-activism initiative. Dance improvisation classes with somatic therapeutic practices - for the healing and empowerment of Palestinian women in East Jerusalem and other communities in need.
Newspaper Articles about my activism