Review of Koresh's 'Aftershock' - A Story of Journeys

I was sixteen, in Jerusalem, talking to an Israeli soldier. She tole me about what life was like in the army. I remember I started to cry, because at sixteen, only two years younger than her, I couldn’t fathom being asked to carry a gun, or shoot another person; another teenager.

That moment in my life took place over a decade ago, and I haven’t visited that memory in my mind for years.

This is a dance review, and you didn’t click on the link titled, “Review of Koresh’s Aftershock” to hear my own personal stories. But, I had to get personal. I had to show you how moving Aftershock was for me, and how it not only brought me right back to Israel, but back to the most complicated emotions I felt when I was there.

When I entered the Suzanne Roberts Theater, and waited for the house to fill (which it did - no surprise there), an introductory documentary played, projected onto a screen. In the documentary, one of the Koresh dancers, Robert Tyler, explained how Aftershock was based on Roni Koresh’s own individual immigration experience, but in choreographing his journey, Tyler and the other dancers each experienced their own personal journeys. As a member of the audience, I too, took my own journey. I was reminded of the conversation above, with the Israeli soldier. I was reminded of the waving sea of worshipers at the Western wall. I was reminded of being lost, and of the lure of the “far away.”

This was my own experience seeing Aftershock, and it will be different than yours. No matter what your relationship is to the concept of migration, or the idea of the “foreign,” you will connect in some way to this performance. We’ve all been uncertain of who we’re becoming. We’ve all been insecure in an unfamiliar place. We’ve all been excited at the thought of a new beginning. Roni’s inspiration for the show came from his own relationship with Israel and the U.S., and my own experience watching Aftershock was intertwined with my personal memories. But, the emotion is this show is nothing, if not universal. You will be moved. You will revisit memories. You will feel feelings.

Some choreographers, especially in contemporary dance, are close-mouthed about the basic inspiration or “meaning” of their work - they prefer to leave it all up to interpretation. But, Roni Koresh spoke quite candidly about the basis for this show. An introduction was written in the program, which explains how “Aftershock” was a response, or at least a follow-up to his 1995 performance, “Culture Shock.” Whereas “Culture Shock” explored his first decade in the U.S., “Aftershock” poses questions about who he has become over the past thirty-two years in the United States. A man who left the “country of his heart” for the “country of his dreams,” as he put it. Is he more Israel? Or more America? Has he, in this age, become part of a “new breed,” he asks in the documentary, one that represents a new “global citizen.”

The opening documentary also featured Fang-Ju Chou Gant, one of the Koresh dancers. She spoke briefly about some of her own experiences as a Taiwanese immigrant. Another dancer, Sydney Donovan, was in the documentary as well, representing the Koresh Youth Ensemble.

To say that I’m blown away by the Koresh Youth Ensemble is an understatement. They kicked off the show with a piece called “Forward” that reflected some of the movements later to be seen in “Aftershock.” The bold emotion that the young dancers both exhibited and elicited was unreal. Whatever Director/Choreographer, Melissa Rector, does with these teenagers is artistic genius. There is not a hint of insecurity when these dancers take the stage - they bring it all. Just like their elders in the adult Koresh Dance Company, the youth ensemble not only possesses precise technique, but they get under the skin of the audience and draw the audience in with their slicing stares, their dramatic gestures, their shouts, their unison, and their complete dedication to the movement. I truly can’t wait to see what’s next from Rector and her Youth Ensemble.

After a hearty applause for “Forward,” Roni Koresh came forward and said a few words, and gave a few thanks before the curtains opened for “Aftershock.”

The show was made up of pieces danced by the full company, as well as a few duets and one solo performed by Asya Zlatina. I was definitely moved most by the opening number, which was filled with militaristic movements, panicked pivots, an intense mood, and shouts. Using vocals in a dance performance can be tricky - choreographers run the risk of taking the viewer out of the experience by shouting at them. But, here, in “Aftershock” it was executed perfectly.

I was warmed by the duets in “Aftershock.” Two were more serious, more intense, with dancers wrapping around each other, following each other, longing for each other. One was a lighter, more buoyant number, called “Hope Avenue.” This piece represented the more optimistic moments of the show. Indeed, I assume, immigrating to a new country must be rife with an extensive range of emotion. And while the overall sentiment of the show was serious, it was sprinkled was joy and excitement.

It is no surprise that Roni Koresh and the Koresh dancers created another unique, fearless performance in which the extraordinary technical skills of the dancers are only part of the show, the other part being their ability to evoke emotion and tell a convincing story through the movement of their bodies and the fervor in their expressions. The lighting and costuming were so perfectly and naturally embedded into the overall performance that it was almost possible to overlook what was actually, I assume, the culmination of countless intentional and precise decisions. The poignant, poetic soundtrack complimented and conveyed the performance so that the movement and the music were one.

Knowing that “Aftershock” was based on an immigration experience, from militarized, politicized, media-ized Israel, I was not sure what to expect.

I was relieved to find that Roni Koresh left politics aside, and instead focused on beauty. He did not seem to compare Israel to America, nor did he seem to exalt one of his lives (his Israeli life/his American life) over the other. He brought the joys of migration, growth and discovery to the performance as well as the difficulties. The Koresh Dance Company is not only is the business of dancing, but in the business of depicting the human experience, the human journey.

Photos by Bicking Photography.