PHILADELPHIA, PA: Koresh Dance Company’s world premiere of "La Danse"
Company:
Koresh Dance Company
World Premiere, Koresh Kouture, and Outreach Field Trip April 25-28 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre
This work has been the Del E. Webb Center, Made in Wickenburg Artist Residency Program
Artistic Director Roni’s Inspiration:
This painting has a unique history as the image of five nude dancers in a circle actually appeared in three different paintings. The first time this circle appears as a small image in the distance as part of a larger painting of five woman called “Le bonheur de vivre”. Later Matisse brought this image from the background and painted it alone in a work entitled “La Danse” (the dance) depicting the circle as all women.
Years later Matisse was commissioned to paint “La Danse” again in what became the most iconic of the series. In this version of “La Danse” Matisse changed the color of the dancing bodies from nude to red and included both men and women in this circle.
I found the latest version to be most impactful to me. This particular painting was hung in my home ever since I was a child. At a young age I admired it, but never really explored the hidden meaning behind it. As an adult and a choreographer I started to investigate the reasons why I am so fascinated by this image. As an artist who constantly seeks inspiration, the evolution of this painting and Matisse’s choices in that development intrigues me. For instance, why had he added men into the painting? In the words of the poet Karl Mullen
the space of a life and the dance,
the joy of a pain and holding on,
the red hand of love
...
In the palm of my hand, green earth, blue sky, fingernails deep in the universe, flesh, flat space, human race ...
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY SPECIAL EVENTS
On Thursday, April 25 and Friday April 26, the performance will be followed by a talk-back conversation with the artists, where audience members will be invited to ask Roni Koresh, the collaborators and the company dancers about the process of this new work.
KORESH KOUTURE: A HIGH-FASHION PERFORMANCE & GALA
Koresh Kouture will take place on Sunday, April 28, 6-10pm at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. The evening presents Koresh Dance Company’s world premiere performance of “La Danse” paired with an elegant reception. The reception will include hors d’oeuvres, and drinks courtesy of YARDS Brewing Company and Philadelphia Distilling. We are also pleased to be partnering with the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator who will be dressing our dancers in today’s hottest fashions.
DANCE FIELD TRIP FOR 500 ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS
On Monday, April 8th, 500 students from the eight elementary schools that partner with the Koresh Kids Dance education and outreach program will attend a field trip held by Koresh Dance Company at G.W. Child's Elementary. This will be our first year partnering with one of our classroom schools who have opened their auditorium to host this field trip.
The attending students will be 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students 20 classrooms from Cayuga School, G.W. Childs Elementary, F.S. Edmonds Elementary, McCall Elementary, Andrew Jackson, Robert Morris Elementary, and George Sharswood School and William H. Hunter elementary. These students are weekly participants in the Koresh Kids Dance outreach program. KKD brings creative dance education into Philadelphia public school classrooms every week under the direction of Director Teresa VanDenend Sorge and her associate instructors Loren Groenendaal, Ryan Stauffer, Lindsey Jaynes, Margot Steinberg, Elizabeth Weinstein, Jacqueline D'Amico. This is the fifth year that Koresh Dance Company has invited the Koresh Kids Dance students to see contemporary dance in its element. The field trip also gives an opportunity for the elementary-school audience to learn dance movements, and to ask the Company dancers questions from their seats. Koresh Kids Dance has been made possible with the support of The William Penn Foundation, The Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund through the Youth Arts Enrichment Grant, Joseph Skilling Foundation, and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation
Koresh would like to extend an invitation to those who would like to learn about ways to support the KKD outreach program. If you are interested in attending please contact Sharon Place, Director of Development at dev@koreshdance.org, 215-751-0959.
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