CORE Begins its 31st Season with “American Playground”, Nov. 3-6 at 7 Stages Theatre as part of EXPOSED Festival

CORE, the award-winning contemporary dance organization based in Atlanta and Houston (www.coredance.org), will present the world premier of “American Playground”, a new work by renowned Israeli dancers/choreographers Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor and performed by CORE Performance Company, at 7 Stages Theatre Nov. 3-6 at 8 p.m. CORE will share the stage with Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor Dance Projects, who will present the American premier of their critically-acclaimed work, “Cowboy”. The performance will kick-off CORE’s 31st season in Atlanta, and will be offered as part of EXPOSED, a six-week festival of richly-layered, boundary-blurring contemporary dance and physical theatre from Israel. Tickets range from $22.50 - $25 and may be purchased at www.exposedfestivalatl.com.

“Ever since I saw the exciting and innovative work being created and performed in Israel, I wanted to bring a group of artists to Atlanta to perform and work in partnership with our local creative community,” said Sue Schroeder, artistic director of CORE. “Our November performances are a component of the EXPOSED festival, made possible through an unprecedented collaboration between CORE, 7 Stages Theatre, Emory University Dance Program/Candler Concert Series, Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University.”

Schroeder commissioned Sheinfeld and Laor to create “American Playground” for the company. Members of CORE Performance Company traveled to Israel in the spring to work with Israeli artists on the new piece. “American Playground” is an active collaboration between the choreographers and dance artists. Through a blend of choreography and improvisation, the dance artists investigate multiple themes such as body as resistance, personal authenticity and the dialogue between public and private spaces. The work evokes both humor and pathos as the dance artists explore the themes in partnership with each other and through the manipulation of props and costume pieces. “American Playground will be presented with “Cowboy”, a lively nod to the Wild West, where what begins as a country line dance evolves into “something dark, erotic and immersive, with beauty, intelligence and humor.”

Support and/or funding for EXPOSED has been generously provided by: Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, Consulate General of Israel to the Southwestern United States, Israel’s Office of Cultural Affairs in North America, Emory University’s Dance Program, Candler Concert Series and Donna and Marvin Schwartz Foundation Artist-in-Residence Program, Kennesaw State University and the Schusterman Foundation, Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, MailChimp, ICU Fund, O Fund for New Work, 7 Stages Theatre, CORE, Gregory Pierce, Sherri Latham and Lisa and Ron Brill.

About CORE

Celebrating its 31st season in Atlanta beginning fall 2016, CORE, an award-winning contemporary dance organization, creates, performs and presents compelling and distinctive original dance works that ignite the creative spirit and foster cultural conversations. For over three decades, CORE has initiated and supported innovation, collaboration, artistic risk-taking and sustainable art-making in dance.

CORE was founded in 1980 in Houston, Texas by dancer and choreographer Sue Schroeder. Five years later, the organization added Atlanta, Ga. as a second home base, and now cultivates dance awareness and education in both cities, as well as throughout the country and around the world. CORE is organized around three initiatives: CORE Performs, CORE Presents and CORE Connects. CORE Performance Company, the professional contemporary dance company of CORE, is internationally recognized for the physical and emotional range of its Dance Artists, as well as its innovative and compelling work. CORE’s Decatur, Ga. studios host classes and events for teachers and dance students of all experience levels. www.coredance.org