Photo courtesy of koreshdance.org
A combination of American and Israeli dance style gives the Koresh Dance Company a unique edge to their performance. The company hopes to leverage their individuality to make an emotional connection with Lafayette audiences next Tuesday.
Ten dancers will present “Come Together,” a piece which highlights smaller groups of dancers. They will also share “Bolero” (to Ravel), a mesmerizing arrangement that was performed on their recent tour. These pieces will showcase the dancers’ dedication and curiously unique movements.
“The performances are unique in the technique behind them,” Administrative Coordinator Haley Bradstreet said. “You can call it modern; you can call it jazz, but really what it is, is Koresh. You can feel it. You can be it. I’ve never seen a company perform with more passion.”
Ronen Koresh, Koresh’s Artistic Director and Israeli choreographer, founded the company in 1991. His Israeli roots uniquely shape Koresh’s dance style, which fuses with American modern dance for a mix of both cultures. Ballet and jazz are also incorporated in many dances for a diverse blend of genres that add to the performance.
While Koresh is based in Philadelphia, the artists have traveled the country and gone international. Performances in Spain, Turkey, Israel, South Korea, and Guatemala have provided the company with recognition outside of their presence within Center City.
The Koresh Dance Company also specializes in dance instruction and community outreach. Their dance school offers a range of dance classes within the Philadelphia community. Being one of the largest dance schools in the city, Koresh instructs over 60 classes each week for dancers from ages 2 through adult level.
Koresh Kids Dance, their children’s program, reaches out to underprivileged youth, which offers a free arts education for Philadelphia residents. The company’s primary goal is to spread dance by investing in the community.
The Koresh Dance Company will be performing at Lafayette at 8:00 p.m. in the Williams Center for the Arts.