Koresh's e-vo-lu-tion: Raw Motion.
There are dance companies that are comprised of sensational dancers in a very traditional, “safe” way, producing beautiful pieces, but lacking elements of real innovation or creativity. Other companies are so overly, desperately “innovative” that you’re left wondering, what the hell… was that even dance?! Koresh finds the thin line between the two, and boldly, knowingly dances on it.
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of seeing “e-vo-lu-tion,” Koresh’s latest performance, directed by Roni Koresh. Let me break it down for you, in three parts.
Part 1: And What The Heck Were You Doing at Age 13?
Let’s recap my life as a 13 year old. Go to school. Come home and make up dances to Will Smith’s “Welcome to Miami” in my full-length mirror. Send Instant Messages to my friends on AOL (dial up). Do homework while watching “Blossom.” Sleep. Repeat.
Not Koresh Teens.
The show started with a performance titled "Debris" by the Koresh Youth Ensemble. For lack of better words, it totally kicked ass. I was floored by the talent these young dancers, ages 13-17, possess.
The dance was not made “for kids” by any means. It was mature, with serious intensity. On the flip side, the dancers did not look like they were “trying to dance like adults” either. The whole performance looked so genuine, so believable, so confident. Throughout the performance, a dancer would shout, “Go!” setting off a blast of unique choreography. There you go Koresh, bein’ all innovative, and totally pulling it off.
I was a huge fan of the choice of music for the performance (by Armond Amar). The juxtaposition of the different styles of music complimented the range of sentiments that the dancers portrayed, and that I felt. Evocative at times, fearless at others, with a subtle touch of eeriness. The single dancer’s resolute stare at the end of the dance seemed to pierce the audience and as the lights dimmed, and we broke the silence with a serious round of applause.
I’m in awe of the artistic director of this Youth Ensemble, Melissa Rector. To be honest, it is not even necessary to remark on the fact that these dancers are “only” teens. Their work stands on its own, and stands right up to the work of any adult dance company.
Part 2: From "Clawing and Clambering" to "Open Suit Jackets"
E-vo-lu-tion is described in the show’s program; “from the clawing and clambering of prehistoric bodies to the civilized distance of dancers in open suit jackets, e-vo-lu-tion meditates on artistic instinct and the human necessity for emotional expression.” The show illustrated the theme of evolution in various ways. The movement of the dancers evolved, from choreography that broke into awkward, jerky motions (as if we, collectively, as humans, were just “learning to walk”) to movements that were powerful, sharp, and intentional. The relationships between the dancers evolved as well, offering new and more complex emotion as the dance progressed. Even the costumes evolved from crude coverings to tailored suits. It begged the question, how much have we really evolved?
In its exploration of language (or lack thereof), during the first portion of the performance, dancers intermittently let out groans and grunts, some of them quite desperate-sounding. Desperate to be heard, perhaps. I wasn’t sure how to feel about these vocals. They took me out of the dance momentarily, and left me feeling jarred; unsettled. Perhaps, though, this is exactly what I was supposed to feel.
I hardly have to talk about the expertise of the Koresh dancers. I mean, it’s Koresh. They’re exceptional. Their dedication to the emotion of the dance is what separates them from other companies. There are connections among the dancers that translate into unity, trust in movement, and what looks like pure dancing without thought. Raw motion.
My favorite part of this piece took place shortly before intermission, when the whole group (ten dancers) came out to a fierce percussive piece with intense choreography. Dancing in unison, their power multiplied exponentially; the group became more than the whole of its parts. The energy was primal.
Part 3: "The More Tools We Have, The More We Can Manipulate. The More Words We Have, The More We Can Lie."
After the show, Koresh held an artist “talk-back” in which Roni Koresh and the ten dancers from e-vo-lu-tion sat on stage casually, and answered questions from those of us in the audience who stayed for the treat. Multiple audience members lauded the show, commenting on the innovative premise for the piece. Roni Koresh discussed how the performance revolves around the idea that "the more tools we have, the more we can manipulate; the more words we have, the more can lie. Not everything we say is truth." It's much harder to lie when expression is physical.
I asked about how the show itself had “evolved” from 7 years ago, when it first debuted. Roni Koresh and the dancers explained that the show had a new life, of course, as any dance does every time it’s performed. Many of the dancers were also part of the debut performance, and dancer Melissa Rector said that “this time around,” the dance was less “up here” as she pointed to her head, and more “from here” as she gestured to her body as a whole. Another dancer compared the experience of re-performing the dance to “putting back on an old pair of shoes.” Another commented that she was much more confident this time, and felt more comfortable in the movements. Other dancers were performing e-vo-lu-tion for the first time, and Kevan Sullivan discussed what it feels like to take on “someone else’s part.”
Before the end of the session, an older man in the back of the room asked to speak to the dancers. Everyone immediately recognized that he had been the man shouting out, “Yes! Yeah! Yeah!” throughout the show, as if he was experiencing a moving church sermon. Not surprisingly, he told the dancers that they “took him to church,” giving him a spiritual experience, and even compared Koresh’s e-vo-lu-tion to the works of Alvin Ailey, which he explained got him into dance in the first place, years ago. One of the dancers had tears in her eyes.
At the start of our night, Roni Koresh came out and stood next to the stage, and opened by saying, “I would never choose a better place to dance than Philadelphia.” We’re honored to have you. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, Koresh!
All photos by Bicking Photography.
Article written by Hannah Lorenzo.
