DANCE

Join the Jewish Community Center of Houston January 12- February 12, 2011 for Dance Month 2011 at the Kaplan Theatre as we continue to spotlight prominent choreographers, master teachers, companies, and dancers in Houston and around the world.

Celebrating 31 years of Presenting Dance. Endeavoring to promote an appreciation of all dance forms, the series presents master classes, workshops and concerts. Dance community outreach, audience expansion and professional artistic development are continuing goals of Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre.

Dance Month 2011 at the Kaplan Theater presents an exhilarating evening of dance with Koresh Dance Company Saturday, February 5 at 8:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braeswood.

Renowned for their powerful stage presence, Philadelphia’s Koresh Dance Company has been hailed as a vital force to both national and international stages. Koresh Dance Company was founded in 1991 by Israeli born choreographer and artistic director Ronen Koresh and his brother, executive director Alon Koresh. The company presents a repertory which includes over 60 works by Ronen Koresh as well as work by many guest choreographers.

Koresh Dance Company will be performing two new works in this amazing concert: Passomezzo choreographed by Ohad Naharin and Sense of Human choreography by artistic director Ronen Koresh.

Passomezzo, set to Baroque melodies, is a highly theatrical pas de deux depicting the intimate dialogue between a man and woman about tough love and opposition. Choreographer Ohan Naharin, Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company, began his training as a dancer with the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, and later studied and performed with the School of American Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company and the Juilliard School of Music.

Sense of Human depicts life in its purest, rawest, most guttural state. This works delves beneath our desired self-images to discover our true sense of humanity. Choreographer Ronen Koresh has danced with Martha Graham’s Batsheva 2 Dance Company and trained with Alvin Ailey. In 1991, he formed Koresh Dance Company, which has since earned him the praise and recognition of international audiences.

Koresh Dance Company will also conduct a lecture/demonstration Friday, February 4 at 11:00 AM. Tickets for the student show are $8 JCC member, senior adult and student/ $12 public.

Koresh Dance Company, as a part of the I W Marks Master Class Series, will teach an intermediate/ advanced master class focusing on athletic and dynamic modern technique Thursday, February 3, 2011, 3:00-4:30 PM. Koresh Dance Company's critically acclaimed work attracts increasing audiences across the nation and abroad, and their reputation for passion and outstanding technique results in sold-out performances. This exciting class is a part of the I W Marks Master Class Series and will take place at the Jewish Community Center. The fee for the master class is $3.50 in advance/ $5 at the door.

Tickets for the evening concert are $16 JCC member/ $22 public/ $12 senior adults and students. For tickets to Dance Month events, call the box office at 713-551-7255 or visit www.jcchouston.org  and click on Arts and Culture, then scroll down to “Dance Month.”

Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre is funded in part by Jewish Community Center Patrons of the Arts, a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment. JP Morgan Chase, and RBC Wealth Management. Continental Airlines is the official airline of the JCC. Marriott Houston Westchase is the official hotel of the JCC. This program was made possible, in part, by funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.