Last Show Before Small Break-and Auditions!
Mon, 2009-12-07 10:51 | 
Kore Shakti
8/14
We just had the pleasure of performing at Spocon-which was a new and wonderful experience for us all.
The week before we had, "Journey to Mars" which though low on attendance was a creative success.
Someday soon we'll get that gallery up and running so everyone can see!
Our final run is Unity in the Community at the end of this week. Then on to a small break before our end of September guest appearance with Mystik Dream Dance Company in Almishkal at the Bing Crosby Theater. In October we will be performing with Pax Lumina and Jaeda, and possibly have one or two dates in Portland.
Also that month we will be running our auditions. Please contact me for more info about that at
nicole@thomasrichardsonmusic.com
In December we guest star again with Mystik Dream Dance Company in Arora (1001 Nights meets the Nutcracker) at The Bing Crosby Theater.
Then we will most likely wrap up our year with First Night Spokane once more.
Then get ready for our new production in January at Merlyn's! We've begun work on it-and this one's for the kids!
Thank you so much for keeping up with us-and keeping our dreams going. : )
Love,
Nicole
5/16
Since the Abney Park show-we also had the enormous pleasure of performing with Seeking The Elephant at The Bing Crosby Theater. Videos from this event are pending.
Now we look eagerly on into summer. Certainly we will be performing at Medfest this year!
Also-I'm not sure I've formally announced our return to the original format-with a new line up. We happily welcome back Sue Christilaw-who besides Nicole (myself)-is the only original member of the troupe. Savannah Demers remains in the position of Assistant Director. And we welcome Nefabit Miew of Mystik Dream!
But-with all happy transitions-comes the bittersweet.
Pax Lumina has parted ways. They have accompanied our live peformances through many shows.
But again-we are looking to the future! Keep checking back for our summer dates!
4/13
In the aftermath of the show with Abney Park-we feel intensely blessed and happy.
Abney Park was amazing as always. Many videos will be posted.
NagaSita was a complete pleasure to work with-and her performances were amazing!
The weekend concluded with a wonderful workshop taught by NagaSita....and we couldn't be happier with anything if we tried.
We will also be posting more pics from the show pending our new gallery set up. : )
But for now-here is a video of our opening number...
and this is a wonderful highlight reel of the show that someone put together....
2/22
We keep on heading forward to the Abney Park show on April 9th. The cast has now changed-and is as follows:
Nicole Richardson, Savannah Demers, Sue Christilaw, Nefabit Miew...and extremely special guest star NagaSita of Portland, Oregon.
1/22
Feeling truly blessed.
As we push forward towards April 9th at the Knitting Factory with Abney Park-an article be well-respected arts writer, Jennifer LaRue, has come out in the newspaper. In the meantime all the girls and myself are carving out our solo careers-many of us finding decently paying gigs around town.
I can hardly wait to begin formal rehearsals for the Abney Park show.
12/8
We truly have some exciting events coming up!
First we have First Night Spokane. This will be our second year with this event.
We will be located in The Saranac building in Main with five sets beginning at 7 P.M. on Dec. 31st!
Dance Cast for first night is Nicole Richardson, Savannah Demers,Kendra Searls, Janelle Jackson, and Yasmin Edwards (who is also a member of the band-Pax Lumina)
Music will be Pax Lumina with Thomas Richardson, Laurie Jackson, Yasmin Edwards, and Shawn Duffey.
Lighting design will be by Denny Marit.
look for new pieces-and new music!
Looks at the whole schedule for the event at http://www.firstnightspokane.org
Then we have Ice Queens!
January 7th and 8th
Explore themes of winter with some of the most talented and fresh dance minds in the Pacific Northwest. Brave the cold with Nicole Richardson, Savannah Demers, Kendra Searls, Janelle Jakckson, Arika Whiteaker, Arzu, Nefabit Miew, Namva Chan, and Victor Wicked.. Set to the live music of cutting edge dark-electro-world fusion band Pax Lumina.
The Empyrean
171 S. Washington
Spokane, WA 99201
8 P.M. each evening
(Doors open at 7:30)
$10.00 admission
And lastly we have the workshops! Here is the information for that....
Per Class
$25.00 pre-register until Dec. 18th
$35.00 afterwards
Pre-register at
http://www.koreshakti.com/catalog/18
...Bollywood Improv for ATS Workshop with Katrina McCoy (10 A.M.-12 P.M.)
(aka Bollywood Basics for Choreography)
Bollywood Basics go improv! Learn the basic rajasthani steps and how to cue the steps for group improv or use them as a base for our Bollywood Choreography class. (We will not be breaking down these steps in the Bollywood Choreography Workshop). Fuse your ATS steps with Bollywood style! We will cover steps such as the Bollywood Shimmy, Bollywood Bump, Lotus Turn and more!
Bollywood Choreography with Katrina McCoy (12:30 P.M.-2:30 P.M.)
Learn how to construct your own Bollywood Choreography! We will fuse Middle Eastern Dance with some East Indian spice. Using the basic rajasthani steps learned in the Bollywood Improv for ATS Workshop, we will also add hand mudras, and the eyes for stunning stage presence. Then, turn your belly dance costume into a Bombay Dream!
Elegant Tribal Fusion with Janelle Jackson (3-5 P.M.)
Someone once told me that simplicity is the highest form of elegance. That is what the focus of this work shop will be... to work on building your practice as a performing artist from the ground up. Using basic techniques influenced through Tribal Fusion Belly Dance and Ballet Level 1 I will help you prepare and strengthen your mind, body core and technical skills.
About Katrina McCoy
Dancing since the age of 5, Katrina has a wealth of dance experience. With a foundation in ballet, tap and acrobatics and a Certification in ATS Belly Dance by Carolena Nerciccio of FCBD, she has pursued her love of Bollywood Dance. After hosting instructor, Mollie Singh at Skin Deep Dance Studio for a year, she came to the conclusion that Bollywood Dance is a fusion of modern and folk dance. Prior to her year with Mollie, she studied Bollywood & Rhajasthani Dance with Queen Harish, Bollywood & Bhangra with Shub Gill (Rhythms of India), Khalbelia Gypsy Dance & Ghoomar Dance with Colleena Shakti, and Bharata Natayam with Vanda Sidher.
She has created a form of Bollywood Dance called Bollywood Improv TM that is based on the foundation of ATS Belly Dance. It is a group improvisational dance that consists of 2 or more dancers performing Bollywood steps in unison with a set language of steps with simple cues. Once this language of movement is learned, the dancer has the ability to dance to any Bollywood Song using these movements.
Her connection to the initiation of movement comes from her education in anatomy & kinesthiology as a Licensed Massage Practitioner. The energy and expression in her dance is rooted in her knowledge as an Ayurvedic Practioner.
Katrina is notorious for her engaging “stage face” and she brings a lightheartedness to stage as well as the class room with diligence and humor.
Janelle Jackson Bio Coming
and last and finally....the wrap party on Jan. 9th after Ice Queens. 6 P.M. at Red Dragon! I am looking for performers for this event...please contact me. It is an unpaid Hafla type of thing. It'll be fun!
10/25
Thank you Spokane for helping to make, "The Haunted Forest" such a wild success. Pax Lumina-and all our performers executed their passion with precision, integrity, and joy.
Exciting opportunities have sprung from the bed of, "The Haunted Forest".
We have been selected to perform with Abney Park at the Knitting Factory in April. More details coming in January.
The Empyrean has also (from what I hear from my husband) asked us back in December for a winter themed event. We have not committed as of yet-and will be caucusing to decide what we would like to do.
Earlier in that month of December we will also be performing as a guest with Mystik Dream in Aurora Almishkal. Please see the calendar for more details.
See us also at, "First Night Spokane" in the Saranac Building. We will have five performance sets....each different and unique.
As this will all be rather time consuming-we will be planning our next full scale event in March. Depending on the fallout from various upcoming events-it will either be the debut of, "Mata Kali's Electric Circus" (a modern re-imagining of the Indian epic, "The Ramayana")-or...something else....that would be pretty awesome as well. : )
In other-rather major news (dance community members will receive a letter explaining the transition separately)-Koreshakti Tribal Fusion will be deviating from the tradition troupe format. We have and will continue to fill all the same roles as a traditional troupe. But we have and always will be a production company. To better facilitate that-the format has been changed.
There are no set troupe members. People will be cast for each piece based on their suitability, schedule, and skill level. People will now be contracted for each show for a set number of pieces. To go further in depth here though would likely bore those not directly effected by this.
So in short form....anyone who might perform in a Koreshakti show is part of Koreshakti. The only constants are myself (Nicole Richardson), and Savannah Demers who is now filling the role of my Assistant Creative Director. She has proven herself to be talented and motivated-and I am fully confident she is capable of more responsibility.
In conclusion, The future is very bright right now. I am so grateful for everything and everyone who lends their talent to this amazing project.
9/20
Paypal registry for the October workshops open sooner than expected! I drank enough coffee to get it done. : ) Please check it out under, "products". This will include class decriptions-and info about the instructors.
9/14
The Haunted Forest-Double Feature
A singular blend of theater, belly dance, fusion performances, live music, and
technology. First-a journey through an enchanted forest full of peacocks,
fairies, and mystic creatures. Then enter the graveyard to encounter zombies,
witches, ghosts, and vampires.
Also features of preview of, “Mata Kali’s Electric Circus”-an epic
re-imagining of The Ramayana....currently in production!
Featuring Nicole Richardson, Savannah Demers, Solari Mahirimah, Arzu Ruqqayah, Sue Christilaw, Kendra Searls, Janelle Jackson,
Arika Whiteaker,Yasmin Edwards,Shamal, Malidoma,Nefabit, Lela, Katana, and Victor Wicked
October 21st and 22nd
Thursday and Friday
8 P.M.
Doors open at 7:30
The Empyrean
171 S. Washington St.
Spokane, WA 99201
$10.00 at the door
ALL AGES
For more info please call Nicole at 509-939-6944....e-mail at nicole@thomasrichardsonmusic.com
or visit http://www.koreshakti.com
The next day October 23rd (Saturday)
We feature three workshop instructors......
Cindy MoonBear with a mixed level ATS workshop
Kendra Searls breaking down the finer points of popping and locking
and
Yasmin Edwards with Guedra and Shikhat
Each workshop will be two hours-$30.00 at the door-$25.00 in advance
The Papyal shop will open for pre-registry 10-01-10
check out http://www.koreshakti.com
....Soon I will have more complete class descriptions and times
They will be at
Tangled Roots Dance Studio
600 W. Garland
Spokane, WA 99205
Finally-on the 24th there will be a wrap party/Hafla at Red Dragon 3011 E. Diamond Spokane, WA 99205 starting at 6 P.M.
Please contact me if you would be interested in dancing at nicole@thomasrichardsonmusic.com
8/24/2010
This upcoming Halloween-my husband and I decided we really need a year off.Halloween shows are fantastic and all-but sometimes you want to make just ONE costume (rather than...the five it looks like I need to make). Fate had other things in mind for us though.
Post "Truth and Consequence"-I realized our troupe was getting a little frayed at the edges from the demanding summer performance schedule. It seemed the perfect time to schedule some mandatory time off.
We are very honored to be a part of a benefit for the V Behan Crisis Nursery this upcoming Saturday. We'll also have a small dinner show at A Taste of India in late September. But nothing on the scale of a full production.
Nearly two months off???
Clearly-we had to perform in October...and how could we get away with not doing a Halloween show in October? The old spirit started flowing again.
Now I'm so excited!
Some of the performances from last year! : ) It was a great show!
So this year we decided to up the ante by making it a double feature.We are also reviving, "Where The Wild Things Are"....the forest ode to wonder and magic.
The second half will be Halloween ultra dark-"Nocturnus III"
Expect an Egyptian Goddess, Villains, Poison (not the band), Zombies, Blood, Flame, Mummies, Vampires, Peacocks, Little skeleton girls,Ghosts, and more!
What a dynamic list of guest talent too....
In addition to Koreshakti Tribal Fusion (which is Nicole, Savannah, Sola, and Arzu)-
we will also be featuring guest stars...
Kendra Searls
Janelle Jackson
Shamal
Yasmin Edwards
Sue Christilaw
J9 Fierce
Katana
and
Lela
Shows will be October 21st and 22cnd at 8 P.M. at The Empyrean-$10.00 admission-All Ages!
