Continuing a Silver Anniversary tour schedule that began in the 25th birthday year of 2016, Koresh Dance presented a retrospective program of highlights from more than 60 works created by the Israeli-born visionary at Monmouth University this February.
The evening was both “classic” and modern, as the selections from the Koresh repertoire are performed to a soundtrack of well-known compositions by the world’s most instantly recognizable masters. Such audience favorites as Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and Ravel’s “Bolero” are juxtaposed with the bracingly modern visual compositions of Koresh, in a marriage of the old and the new that serves to illuminate each aspect of the experience.
A centerpiece of the “Classic Koresh” program, commissioned especially for the occasion, was “23: Deconstructing Mozart,” a new spin on W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 that marked a collaboration between the choreographer and the multimedia hip-hop innovator Paul D. Miller — who in the guise of “DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid” has teamed on projects with artists as diverse as Patti Smith, avant garde composer Iannis Xenakis, filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, and Texas-based Ballet Austin. A touring troupe assembled from Koresh’s company of ten full-time professionals brought the era-spanning mix of sound and vision to passionate life — a must-see for dance aficionados, and, for the coastal New Jersey audience, a dazzling introduction to the world of Koresh.
Prior to performing at the University’s Pollak Theater, the company performed a master class in which University dance students had the opportunity to watch and learn from Koresh dancers. This once-in-a-lifetime chance allowed students to gain professional experience as well as grow as dancers themselves. Also, following the show, all attendees were invited to take part in a talk-back session with the featured company members, giving the community an opportunity to get involved with this amazing dance troupe.
