Renowned for its powerful stage presence and high-energy style, Philadelphia’s Koresh Dance Company has been hailed as a vital force on the national and international stage. As a part of the South Arts Dance Touring Initiative, Appalachian State University’s Performing Arts Series is hosting the dance company for a live performance on Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.
Earlier in the week, the company will offer several master classes and residency activities for campus and community groups. For tickets and information, call the Schaefer Center Box Office at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or 828-262-4046, or visit pas.appstate.edu.
About Koresh Dance Company
Koresh Dance Company was founded in Philadelphia in 1991 by Israeli-born choreographer and artistic director, Ronen Koresh. The technically superb and emotionally compelling company is defined by its openhearted approach that permeates both on and off stage. Koresh’s Israeli heritage differentiates the company, producing unique works that range from humorous and eloquent to passionate and explosive. The company’s interdisciplinary foundation promotes high-speed attack and gestural diversity drawn from Graham technique, Luigi jazz, classical ballet, hip-hop and Israeli folk dance. It presents bi-annual home seasons as the resident dance company of the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, and has toured in over 38 states and 7 countries.
What the Critics Say
“It’s all dance, and it’s all art ”
– Dance Magazine
“ Exalted, the audience rises to their feet, giving the company a thunderous ear-shattering standing ovation.”
– The Dance Insider
“ They consistently astonish with their skill, when all nine of them move together as a unit, they become a single entity, a piece of life moving as if with one heartbeat. ”
– San Antonio Express
About Artistic Director Ronen Koresh
Ronen (Roni) Koresh was born and raised in Israel. He received early dance training from his mother, a folk dancer in the Yemenite tradition, and from teachers Alida Gera, Micha Deri, Nira Paz and Moshe Romano. Koresh joined Martha Graham’s Batsheva 2 Dance Company before enlisting for three years in the Israeli army.
In 1983, he moved to New York to study with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He began performing with Shimon Braun’s Waves Jazz Dance Company in Philadelphia, and in 1991, founded Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, followed by the Koresh School of Dance in 1993. Koresh has established a repertoire of over 60 works and develops two to three new works each year.
Koresh has been on the faculty at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts since 1986, teaches master classes across the country, and participates in festivals including Jacob’s Pillow and the Northwest National Dance Project. Recipient of a Philadelphia dance community Rocky Award from FringeArts andDance/USA Philadelphia, Koresh is an avid collaborator and supporter of emerging artists.
About the Residency
This performance is part of a collaborative project with the South Arts Dance Touring Initiative, involving residency activities byKoresh Dance Company from April 15-17. Residency activities and performances are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Company members will hold master classes, meet with dance students at Appalachian and in community studios, and artistic director Ronen Koresh will lead a lecture discussing the influence of his Israeli heritage on his work as an artist. Koresh Dance will also perform as a part of the APPlause! K-12 Performing Arts Series for area school children on the morning of April 17. For more information on the APPlause! Series, visit http://theschaefercenter.org/applause.
Tickets
Tickets for these events are on sale at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office and online at pas.appstate.edu. The Performing Arts Series is committed to affordable ticket prices, with prices for most events ranging from $10-$30.
The series offers a “Pick 5” discount for series events when the tickets are purchased in multiples of five. To purchase tickets, call or visit the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at 828-262-4046 or go online at pas.appstate.edu.
About the Performing Arts Series
The Performing Arts Series supports the teaching mission of Appalachian State University by presenting a diverse array of music,dance and theatre events designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding region. By creating memorable performance experiences and related educational and outreach activities, the series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a “window on the world” through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists and showcases some of the finest artists of our nation and our region.
Performing Arts Series Corporate Sponsors:
McDonald’s of Boone and Boone Area Visitors Bureau
Media sponsors include:
Charter Media, Our State Magazine, High Country Radio, Mountain Television Network, WDAV 89.9 FM, WFDD 88.5FM, WETS 89.5FM, WASU 90.5FM and High Country 365.
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