Koresh Dance Company

An Artistic Force

Creating Innovative & Emotional Dance Performances

This Friday, prepare to be amazed by the superb technique of the culturally-enriched dance company that keeps the artistic reputation of Philidelphia alive. Koresh Dance Company has been described as emotionally compelling and stunningly athletic, with 10 dancers that seamlessly shift from an explosive and passionate repertoire to moments of intimacy and restraint. Founded in 1991 by Israeli-born choreographer Ronen Koresh, this troupe has toured the world performing a fusion of choreographic styles including ballet, modern dance and jazz. Performing to a musical score of contrasts — Middle Eastern music juxtaposed with classical favorites — the dancers deliver an artistic experience that Northwest Arkansas won’t soon forget! If you like hard, fast, intense dancing, this is the show for you.

We love that these artists are committed to the creative economy of their hometown and really wanted to know more about the driving force behind that committment. Our 10x10 Arts Series focuses on creating a space for audience/artist interaction, giving us the opportunity to ask Koresh's artistic director and founder, Ronen Koresh a few questions to help us better understand what influences their artistry.

1)What are some of your favorite songs to jam to? 

No specific songs—I enjoy World music to jam to.  

2)What moves you to create a new dance number (e.g.: a musical piece, life experience or style of dance)?

What inspires me to create are the intricacies of life, the complexity of relationships, and the desire to add to the beauty of life.

3)Choose 5 words – that start with the letter D – to describe your company.

Daring, desirable, dynamic, dramatic, diverse 

4)What do you find most thrilling about exploring human emotions using just your body?

The body doesn’t lie. 

5)What types of the cultural spaces/places you draw inspiration from?

The street, the coffee shop, the bar—people-watching places.

6)Whom do you define as visionary?

My mom. She’s the one who made me follow my dream to dance, paid for it, sent me to America.

 7)How does your work connect to the larger world?

My work deals with humanity, human emotions and relationships, community, the individual vs. society—and most people connect to those themes. They can see themselves in it. My work is not commentary; it’s participation. A dance company doesn’t imitate life; it is life.

8)What is the best advice that you have been given?

Donald Byrd told me not to go searching for an audience—don’t try to satisfy them or be afraid that they won’t like your work. Let an audience find you. The people who like what you do will come.

9)What are some exciting things you see happening among dancers/studios today?

Dancers now are exposed to a much larger arena of dance, especially through YouTube—European, Asian, Israeli dance, etc., and as a result, their styles are becoming more diverse.

10) Why 10 dancers?

Because I can’t afford fifteen.

Still curious about this extraordinary and out-of-the-box dance company? Check out a few of their preformances here to better prepare youself for the artistic force coming to Walton Arts Center this Friday, March 6! Tickets are just $10, so buy yours today! To purchase tickets, click here.

The Hot Sardines

Reinventing Hot Jazz for the 21st Century

Don your best vintage rags and join us this Thursday for The Hot Sardines! Named one of the best jazz bands in New York by Forbes magazine, The Hot Sardines is born of a unique recipe: take hot jazz and sultry standards from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, sprinkle in the rich Dixieland sounds of New Orleans, add a dash of wartime Paris flavor and stir in vibrant musical surprises that hold audiences captive. The band’s unforgettably wild live shows have a style and sound distinctly their own.

Did we mention there’s a tap dancer?

It’s hard to see photos of this band or hear their music without wanting to know more about what makes them tick. Luckily, our 10x10 Arts Series focuses on creating a space for audience/artist interaction, giving us the opportunity to ask the “Sardines” front-woman, “Miz Elizabeth” Bougero some questions to scratch that itch!

1.What’s the story behind the name of your band?

We needed a name to play at our first open mic. Jazz bands have been calling themselves "hot" forever -- think Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives, or Django Reinhardt's Hot Club of France -- so we wanted to pay homage to that. And then I saw a tin of sardines in hot pepper sauce at a supermarket and thought, that might work. 

2. What are your favorite artists and/or soundtracks to jam to?

Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, James Brown... It's a long list.  

3. What’s it like to go from playing subway cards to clubs to large performance halls? 

Exhilarating! But ultimately we approach every venue like it's one of the underground soirees where we first started out: We're throwing a big, fat jazz party, and you're invited. 

 4. Pick 5 words that start with the letter ‘s’ to describe your music. 

• Spirit (it's what the joy in this music is all about)
• Soaring (how it feels when 8 people are making music together on stage)
• Shared (we create each show in tandem with each different audience--that's part of the fun)
• Sweaty (when you have a live tap dancer, sweaty is par for the course)
• Spent (how we hope you feel after the show) 

5. What aspects of the Roaring Twenties inspire you most? 

We cull our musical references from the entire first half of the last century, but there's something about the '20s that really resonates today: The world was a troubled and uncertain place then as it is now, and people sought out experiences that lifted the spirit. And nothing we've found lifts the spirit like live jazz.  

 6. What has been your most exciting performance to date? 

In May were invited to play with the Boston Pops, who arranged our tunes for the entire symphony orchestra. We're still waiting to wake up from *that* dream. 

7. Do you have a preference for writing your own tunes, or reworking classic standards?

Each is scary and fulfilling in its own way. The standards have endured for a reason -- they're magical! So we love the challenge of tackling a classic song. We have two originals on the new album, Wake Up in Paris and Let's Go, and the mission there was to pen something that can hold its own alongside the classics. 

8. If you could play any other instrument(s), which would they be and why? 

Elizabeth would play the trumpet and piano--they're such versatile instruments. Evan [Evan “Bibs” Palazzo, piano] would play the piccolo for size, or the stock market.

 9. What is the best advice that you have been given?

The same advice we give: Play the music you love, not what you think people want to hear. If you're feeling it, the audience will feel it too. Also: Take the stairs.  

10. Whom do you define as a visionary? 

Every one of our influences had a specific musical vision that guided what they did. But to pick just one: Ray Charles, who knew that country tunes by the likes of Hank Williams could, with the right arrangements, swing hard. 

Click here for a little taste of The Hot Sardines' straight-up, foot-stomping sound!

Q&A with SFJAZZ Collective

Yesterday you dipped your toe in the pool of the all-star jazz group SFJAZZ Collective. Today, we're taking a dive into the deep end! We like to hit up our incoming 10x10 Arts Series artists with a Q&A to get to know them better before they get here. Here's what SFJAZZ Collective drummer, Eric Harland had to say...

Eric Harland - drums

1. If you could do another tribute show, which artist would you choose and why?

I would personally choose James Taylor... mostly because I love his music and haven't had the opportunity to perform his music or with him. 

2. If you could choose one celebrity to play with, alive or dead, who would you choose?

John Coltrane would be my choice... 

3.What is the one piece of music that you wish you would’ve composed?

The theme to Star Wars...  

4. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

More financial balance so that the arts can remain an act of "expression" to success and not the act of "mimic" to success...

5. If you were not a performer today, what profession would you have chosen?

Maybe Computer Engineering...  Philosophy...  Winemaking...  can't really choose just one.  

6.You’ve covered some great names (Coltrane, Hancock, Monk and now Stevie Wonder); how do you decide? And, is there anyone that you haven’t done that you would love to?

We decide based on a voting process, about who we agree to be the next honored Artist.  As far as those we haven't played before...  I think everyone has a different outlook on that.  

7. What is your favorite Stevie Wonder song to perform and why?

Ah man...  he has too many great songs to narrow to just a favorite...  but some are "Higher Ground", "Golden Lady", "Superstition"...  and these are mainly do to their great melodies, feel, lyrics...  but wait...  THAT'S ALL OF STEVIE'S SONGS.....   :-)  

8. What song, artist, or genre of music do you secretly like, but are embarrassed to admit?

None...  I'm open to all music.

SFJAZZ Collective will be in Northwest Arkansas this Thursday, March 15 at 7pm. I hope to see you all at the show! Don't have tickets yet? No problem! They're still available and can be purchased here, or by calling the Walton Arts Center box office at 479.443.5600.

SFJAZZ Collective plays Stevie Wonder

SFJAZZ Collective is made up of a group of eight accomplished jazz musicians from around the country. The unique thing about the group is that this collective is not their primary career. The group comes together once a year, chooses a jazz legend to honor, takes the music of that icon and puts together their own compositions.

In years past, SFJAZZ Collective has played the music of Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonius Monk and more. This year they've chosen the incomparable Stevie Wonder.

Take a look at this behind the scenes video of their arrangement of "Visions" together.

It's pretty awesome how this group of all-star jazz musicians work together on SFJAZZ Collective every year. We're very excited to bring them to Northwest Arkansas as part of our 10x10 Arts Series, and tickets start at just $10. We're looking forward to seeing this amazing group live!