The Philadelphia-based Koresh Dance Company, known for its provocative choreographic style that blends ballet, modern, jazz and other genres, comes to campus Oct 19-22 as part of the Theater and Dance Department’s annual Stephanie C. Davis Dance Residency.
The company has dazzled audiences across the country since its founding 25 years ago by Israeli-born Ronen (Roni) Koresh.
The son of an avid Israeli folk dancer, Koresh honed his movement style at some of Tel Aviv’s top studios as well as with Martha Graham’s Batsheva 2 Dance Company. He studied at the Alvin Ailey dance studio in New York and the noted Waves Jazz Dance Company in Philadelphia before striking out on his own.
His troupe quickly garnered international acclaim for its repertoire of highly disciplined, physical and ever-evolving movement. Reviews have variously used such superlatives as “inventive,” “intense” and “exuberant” to describe the company. The Philadelphia Inquirer said Koresh is “always hot and hip.” Roni Koresh has received many choreography fellowships, and he has been commissioned by numerous companies across the country.
At Union, company members Joseph Colter and Vanessa Quinto will hold a master class for dance students Wednesday, Oct. 19. Artistic director Koresh will give a lecture/demonstration, open to the Union community, on Thursday, Oct. 20.
Both events will take place in the Henle Dance Studio, 6:30-8 p.m.
On Friday, Oct. 21, of Homecoming and Family Weekend, the company will give a public performance at The Egg theater at the Empire State Plaza, Albany, at 8 p.m. There will be an informal pre-performance talk with Roni Koresh and his dancers in the lobby at 7:15 p.m.
A limited number of tickets to the Egg performance are free for Union faculty, students and staff with a Union ID.
Free round-trip bus transportation also will be provided. Buses leave from the Nott/Seward parking lot at 7 p.m. and return to campus after the performance.
Now in its ninth year, the Stephanie C. Davis Dance Residency is made possible by a generous gift from Sue and Gus Davis ’59, in memory of their daughter, who was a modern dancer and environmental activist with a lifelong love of the performing arts.
Tickets to Koresh performance at the Egg are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. They can be picked up at the Yulman Theater Box Office weekdays 12:30-1:30 p.m. and at the Feigenbaum Center for Visual Arts (main office), 3-4 p.m.