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Submitted by the Washington Center for the Performing Arts

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts has been approved for a $10,000 Challenge America grant to support bringing Koresh Dance Company to the region for a multi-day experience and learning opportunity. Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects across the country. The Washington Center is one of 145 Challenge America grants included in this announcement.

The Challenge America funding category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations that have limited access to the arts due to geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Each grant is for a fixed amount of $10,000 and requires a minimum $10,000 cost share/match.

“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like The Washington Center’s.”

This project will bring internationally regarded dance company, Koresh Dance Company to Olympia at the end of March. Their visit to Olympia will include a performance and post-performance discussion at the Washington Center, a masterclass for local dancers, and a Shabbat Salon at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, with local Rabbi Seth Goldstein, to provide insight into Koresh’s early training in Yemenite folk dance and his on-going connection to the life and people of Israel.

“The importance of the NEA cannot be understated. Artists and arts organizations rely on a diverse stream of funding,” says Jill Barnes, Executive Director of the Washington Center. “This support makes it possible to bring Koresh to Olympia, and provide the community and dancers with direct access to the Koresh dancers and artists – truly an inspiring and challenging experience.”

The performance at the Washington Center, La Danse, is a tender, joyful, passionate and humorous interpretation of the paintings of Henri Matisse. The performance, on March 28, 2020 at 7:30 pm, is currently on sale through the Box Office by calling (360) 753-8586 or online.

For more information on projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

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