HARTSVILLE, SC (November XX, 2021) - Coker University will host Ephrat Asherie Dance on campus this month, with the dance company offering a performance of ODEON as the head of the company, Ephrat Asherie, participates in a residency at Coker’s ’s McCall School of Visual and Performing Arts.
“We are honored to have Ephrat Asherie and her dance company at Coker University this month,” said Angela Gallo, dean of Coker’s School of Visual and Performing Arts. “ODEON’s blend of street and club dances will be a strong addition to the ongoing work of Coker’s dance faculty and students.”
ODEON, an original dance work for six dancers, is the second collaboration between sister and brother team Ephratand Ehud Asherie (choreographer and musical director, respectively). Set to the music of fin-de-siecle Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth, known for mixing early 20th century romantic music with samba and other popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms, this work takes a hybrid approach to movement. ODEON delves into what happens when you bring together parts of the extended family of street and club dances--including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue--remix them, pick them apart and challenge them to inhabit unfamiliar spatial and choreographic contexts.
ODEON will be performed on November 15th at 7:30 pm at Coker’s Watson Theater. Tickets are free for those with a valid Coker University ID and are available for $25 for adults and $10 for seniors or non-Coker students. Tickets are available at www.coker.edu/vpa-tickets.
This residency and performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Coker’s Dance program provides an intimate learning environment so that all students gain the individual attention that fuels remarkable development. Coker offers outstanding facilities and access to world-class instruction from faculty and guest artists, offering distinct degree options that fit many different dance interests and career paths, including a B.A. in dance, B.A. in dance education, and B.F.A. in performance and choreography. Coker dance students benefit from a range of offerings, including a dance practicum, dance science, and the Coker Repertory Dance Company.
About Ephrat Asherie
Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, a 2016 Bessie Award winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance, creates work for the dynamic group of multifaceted dancers in her company Ephrat AsherieDance (EAD). Embodying many different African American and Latinx vernacular dances, including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, EAD is dedicated to exploring the inherently complex and dynamic qualities of these forms -Asherie's "movement phrases--compact bursts of choreography with rapid-fire changes in rhythm and gestural articulation --bubble up and dissipate, quickly paving the way for something new" (The New York Times)
About Ephrat Asherie Dance
Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD) is a dance company rooted in African American and Latinx street and club dances. Dedicated to exploring the inherent complexities of these dances, EAD investigates the expansive narrative qualities of various vernacular forms including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, as a means to tell stories, develop innovative imagery, and find new modes of expression. EAD’s first evening-length work, A Single Ride, earned two Bessie nominations in 2013 for Outstanding Emerging Choreographer and Outstanding Sound Design by Marty Beller. The company has presented work at The Apollo Theater, Celebrity Series, Columbia College, Dixon Place, FiraTarrega, Guggenheim Works & Process, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, La MaMa, River to River Festival, Mass MoCA, New York Live Arts, Summerstage and The Yard, among others.
About Coker University
Coker University is a student-focused, comprehensive institution of higher education with a strong liveral arts core, located in Hartsville, South Carolina. Coker combines round table, discussion-based learning with hands-on experiences to encourage active participation in and out of the classroom. A supportive, close-knit community prepares Coker students with the confidence and practical life skills they need to reach their personal best, in college and beyond.
Founded in 1908, Coker is a bachelor’s and master’s degree-granting institution and competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports. Coker is included among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review, and by Washington Monthly as a “Best Bang for Your Buck” college in the Southeast.
