Nikova

Nikova had already thought of establishing ballet of this type during her youth abroad, after attending a performance in Poland by the Yemenite singer Brachah Zefira and the composer Nahum Nardi.

Rina Nikova. 2009

In 1942 Nikova married Joseph Gizlat (d. 1948), a soldier in the Polish battalion of General Wladyslav Anders (1872 – 1970) who remained in Palestine.

Rina Nikova. 2009

Of the two hundred girls who signed up, thirty candidates were chosen, and of those Nikova chose seven for the company.

Rina Nikova. 2009

Through the good offices of the wife of the French consul in Jerusalem, who participated in ballet lessons that Nikova gave to the wives of foreign consuls in Jerusalem, the company traveled to Paris in 1937 as guests of Baron Maurice de Rothschild (1881 – 1957), who was enthusiastic about the group and arranged a series of performances for high society at his palace.

Rina Nikova. 2009

In 1927 Nikova appeared in Tel Aviv in a ballet evening with pupils from her school and was once more joined by the dancer David Brainin.

Rina Nikova. 2009

Rachel Nadav recalls: “Because the Yemenite girls had such great natural talent in singing, drumming and dancing, Nikova was imbued with confidence in her belief that through them she would be able to create a program to her liking.”

Rina Nikova. 2009

This was the first and last time Nikova appeared with the other dancers.

Rina Nikova. 2009

Since Nikova was not allowed to install a barre in the basement where rehearsals were held, she moved the barre exercises to the middle of the auditorium.

Rina Nikova. 2009

When the Palestine Opera ceased operations at the end of 1927, Nikova traveled to New York and appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in ballet pieces which, according to her, had a “Mizrahi flavor.”

Rina Nikova. 2009

In addition, Nikova appeared in Aïda, Russalka and The Huguenots.

Rina Nikova. 2009