Ephrat Asherie Dance + Workshop

Odeon, an original dance work for seven dancers is the second collaboration between sister and brother team Ephrat and Ehud Asherie (choreographer and musical director, respectively). Set to the music of 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 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.

Workshop October 4, 6pm included in Performance ticket purchase.

“The work is worthy of a scholarly exposition of the movement and musical resources, but let me simply state that “Odeon” is real, honest and breathtaking.”
              — Liz Thompson, ​Berkshire Edge

“Just when you thought you knew something about dance, along comes Ephrat Asherie to blow that all to smithereens.”
             — Carolyn and Eli Newberger, ​Berkshire Edge

Ephrat Asherie Dance

EAD is a dance company rooted in street and social dance. Dedicated to revealing the inherent complexities of these forms, EAD explores the expansive narrative qualities of various street and club styles including breaking, hip hop and house, 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, Dixon Place, FiraTarrega, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, La MaMa, LMCC’s River to River Festival, New York Live Arts, Summerstage and The Yard, among others. ephratasheriedance.com.

Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie

A New York City-based B-girl, dancer, and choreographer and a 2016 Bessie Award Winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance. Asherie has received numerous awards to support her work including a Mondo Cane! commission from Dixon Place, a creative development residency at the Pillow Lab from Jacob’s Pillow, Workspace and Extended Life Residencies from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, a Travel and Study Grant from the Jerome Foundation, and two residencies through the CUNY Dance Initiative. Most recently, Asherie received a National Dance Project award to support the development and touring of her newest work, Odeon. Asherie is a regular guest artist with Dorrance Dance and has worked and collaborated with Doug Elkins, Rennie Harris, Bill Irwin, David Parsons, Gus Solomons Jr., and Buddha Stretch, among others. Asherie earned her BA from Barnard College, Columbia University in Italian and her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she researched the vernacular jazz dance roots of contemporary street and club dances.

Ehud Asherie​

“A master of swing and stride” (The New Yorker), is a jazz pianist who integrates the venerable New York piano tradition into his inventive style. He has toured clubs and festivals around the world, including South America, Europe and Asia. Asherie’s playing can be heard on countless recordings, including the 2010 Grammy Award winning soundtrack of HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ He recently released his twelfth album entitled ‘Shuffle Along’ (Blue Heron Records), a solo piano performance of Eubie Blake songs from the musical ‘Shuffle Along.’ ehudpiano.com

Odeon

CHOREOGRAPHY: Ephrat Asherie, in collaboration with EAD
MUSIC: Ernesto Nazareth
MUSICAL DIRECTION: Ehud Asherie
PERCUSSION ARRANGEMENTS: Sergio Krakowski
DANCERS: Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, Manon Bal, Teena Marie Custer, Valerie “Ms. Vee” Ho, Linda “LaNaija” Madueme, Matthew “Megawatt” West, Ousmane “Omari Mizrahi” Wiles
RECORDED MUSIC BY: Ehud Asherie, Eduardo Belo, Sergio Krakowski, Ranjan Ramchandani
ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESIGN: Kathy Kaufmann
COSTUME DESIGN: Mark Eric
STAGE MANAGER: Alexa Zanikos

Premiered on June 27, 2018 in the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.