Internationally renowned Koresh Dance Company brings ev•o•lu•tion to Diana Wortham Theatre, Jan. 22 -23

From Diana Wortham Theatre:

Internationally Renowned Koresh Dance Company Brings Innovative Show, ev•o•lu•tion, to Diana Wortham Theatre on Friday & Saturday, January 22 & 23 at 8:00 p.m.

One of Philadelphia’s top dance ensembles and a recipient of distinction from the National Endowment for the Arts, Koresh Dance Company performs the intense and intricately beautiful dance program, ev•o•lu•tion, and other works at the Diana Wortham on Friday and Saturday, January 22 and 23, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. In addition to the two evening performances, choreographer Ronen Koresh and members of the company present a full schedule of residency activities in the week leading up to the performances, including dance master classes, workshops, lectures, discussions, and programs for schools.

Earthy and rhythmic, ev•o•lu•tion explores dance as an eternal language that predates spoken language: as a visceral, universal form of physical expression. Koresh’s intense and intricate choreography asks whether human nature has changed, or whether our need for communication remains an essential drive. The piece, as Koresh explains, aims to get at and define the “primordial glue that sticks people together.”

Founded in 1991 by Ronen (“Roni”) Koresh, the company presents bi-annual home seasons in its home city of Philadelphia and has toured in more than 38 states and seven countries. Koresh Dance Company’s interdisciplinary foundation stems from Koresh’s early education in his native Israel, from his training in folk movement and modern dance and eventually to the physicality of military service. The company’s unique style promotes high-speed attack and gestural diversity drawn from Graham technique, Luigi jazz, classical ballet, hip-hop, Israeli folk dance, and more. The result, as evident in the ensemble’s repertoire of more than 60 works, is an earthy, emotionally direct, physically intense, and eccentric approach to shows ranging from intimate to high-voltage.

Asheville Residency: Schedule of Events

The following is a partial list of residency events. Please check www.dwtheatre.com for additional events, times and locations.

Lecture: Ronen Koresh On Israeli Culture – January 21
The public is invited to a free lecture by Israeli-born choreographer Ronen Koresh in The Forum at Diana Wortham Theatre on Tuesday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m. Presented in partnership with the Asheville Jewish Community Center.

Pre-performance Discussions – January 22 & 23
Koresh Dance Company members and artistic staff lead pre-performance discussions at 7:00 p.m. prior to the January 22 and 23 performances, in The Forum off of the main lobby. Pre-show discussions are free to ticket holders. Seating is limited and offered on a first come, first served basis. We regret that patrons may not be admitted to pre-show discussions after 7:10 p.m.

Post-performance Q&As – January 22 & 23: Patrons are invited to stay in the theatre after both evening performances to participate in a Question-and-Answer session with the company.

Matinee Series Performance – January 22
Koresh Dance Company’s performances are also a part of the Matinee Series for Students and Families, with a performance on Friday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. Currently this Matinee Series show is sold out; check with the box office at 828-257-4530 for last minute ticket availability.

Koresh Dance Company’s Asheville performances are presented with support from the Arthur J. Fryar Charitable Fund through the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The performances are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. Performances are made possible by Performance Sponsors Bob & Carol Deutsch, Steve & Rena Hoffman, Hugh & Carol McCollum, and Dianne & David Worley; and by Mainstage Dance Series Sponsors Hedy Fischer & Randy Schull, Susan Holden, Tina & John McGuire, Ronna & Rob Resnick, Diamond Brand Outdoors, and Wells Fargo Bank; with additional support provided by Media Sponsors The Laurel of Asheville and WCQS 88.1FM.

Koresh Dance Company is supported in part by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Dance/USA Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the William Penn Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

The entrance for the Diana Wortham Theatre is marked by the location of the theatre’s marquee between 12 and 14 Biltmore Avenue. Patrons enter the theatre through the breezeway between Marble Slab Creamery and White Duck Taco, and into a large interior courtyard with multiple glass doors to the theatre’s main lobby and box office. The intimate theatre seats just over 500 and boasts exceptional acoustics and sightlines, making it the premier performance space in Western North Carolina. The Mainstage Series is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency. The 2015/2016 Mainstage Season Sponsors are the Asheville Scene, Blue Moon Water, Creative Energy, the North Carolina Arts Council, 67 Biltmore Downtown Eatery & Catering, and the Renaissance Asheville Hotel. To obtain more information or to purchase tickets, call the theatre’s box office at (828) 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com.