John Coltrane was a saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, but in truth, he was much more than that. Since his death in 1967, his legend only continues to grow as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
It was a fascination with his life and legacy that led to The Room Upstairs, a dance work that honours his legacy on the 100th anniversary of his birth — and as a celebration of Holla Jazz’s own 10 year anniversary. The Room Upstairs marks Holla Jazz’s third full-length production, following the company’s Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning production of Floor’d.
The title of the work refers to Coltrane’s work space, a room he kept as a studio above the family residence where he practiced and wrote his music.
The world premiere of The Room Upstairs is presented by Holla Jazz in partnership with DanceWorks and Toronto Dance Theatre from April 29 to May 2, with live musical accompaniment.
Holla Jazz Founding Artistic Director Natasha Powell, who choreographed the work talks about the work in a statement:
“In creating The Room Upstairs, I was inspired not only by his music, but his creative process. He was an artist who prioritized his spiritual practice and deeply collaborative relationships with colleagues and family alongside the development of his craft. I wanted to explore the embodiment of Coltrane’s special room through jazz dance — to find that creative space where the boundary between art and life dissolves.”
LV caught up with Natasha Powell to talk about The Room Upstairs.
Natasha Powell: The Interview
“I would say, it kind of came, it was shared with me,” Powell explains. She was introduced to a deeper understanding of Coltrane’s work, practice, and life coming across his practice and life after watching the 2016 documentary Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary.
“I think for me the part I really connected to was his humanity,” she says. Powell was struck, in particular, with the spirituality he connected to his artistic practice. “And just trying to be a force for good.”
He found a kind of purity in his musical expression; it was his philosophy of making art.
Natasha wanted to create a work that was inspired not only by his art, but his spirituality and humanity. “I think sometimes we see these large, great figures in arts and entertainment, and we often don’t get a chance to see them as a human being.”
For Coltrane, art, music, and humanity were one and the same. “It was embedded in his craft.” The more she found out about him, the more it also influenced how she heard and experienced his music.
“The music started to have more purpose.”
The Dance
Powell looked to create a dance work that explores the links between his art and his life.
“For me, it always starts with the rhythm and feeling,” she explains, “the emotional texture of the music.”
She began with iconic and well known works like Giant Steps, and began to create a narrative around them. “Being in the tone and texture of the music. What is the visual jazz vocabulary that will really tell the context of the piece?”
She points out that it’s a rare opportunity to experience dance to Coltrane’s music.
“Even the dancers when they are improvising, what is the language that I should be using to embody this music?’
Natasha incorporated a range of dance techniques and genres into the work, from jazz to lindy hop to contemporary street dance. As she notes, Black dance is a continuum of genres.
“Jazz dance, as a vocabulary, it’s something we don’t get to see [a lot of] in Toronto.”
The four dancers in the work come from different backgrounds that include both jazz and street dance. Audiences will find much that looks familiar within those combined dance vocabularies.
The Production
The production takes advantage of the Winchester Street Theatre’s natural properties.
“What we’ve tried to do at the Winchester Street Theatre, they’ve got this really beautiful floor,” she explains. The black masking on the wings and floor has been removed to reveal the wood. “We have sort of a blank canvas to bring in the musicians, and add some art work into the space.”
Other items include a few bookshelves, records, and lamps — the kind of items that Coltrane would have had in his workspace, along with theatrical elements that the dancers can riff off of.
“That’s what inspired me for Coltrane was that he had this room above his family [home] where he’d go and create.”
The production looks to create it in a theatrical context, including lighting design that enhances the dancers and atmosphere.
“[There are] four dancers and six musicians,” she says. The musicians will be situated just behind, upstage from the dancers.
“They’re kind of like flies on the wall,” she laughs. They’ll be able to see and respond to the dancers in real time.
Performances
Presented by DanceWorks and Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT), and co-produced by DanceWorks and Holla Jazz in association with Toronto Dance Theatre, The Room Upstairs features choreography by Natasha Powell in collaboration with the dancers, with music direction by Jacob Gorzhaltsan.
Additional creative credits for The Room Upstairs include: Taylor Zalik-Young (Production and Stage Manager), Emerson Kafarowski (Lighting Designer), James Kendal (Scenic Design), and Seika Boye (Dramaturg).
Performers:
Toronto-based dancers: Raoul Wilke, Caroline “Lady C” Fraser, Hollywood Jade, and Miha Matevzic.
Musicians: Tom Richards (trombone), Thompson Egbo-Egbo (piano), Eric West (drums), Scott Hunter (bass), Colleen Allen (saxophone), and Rebecca Hennessey (trumpet).
The score includes Coltrane’s legendary works, featuring “Syeeda’s Song Flute,” “Lazy Bird,” “Giant Steps,” “Naima,” “Aisha,” and “My Favourite Things.”
The world premiere takes the stage April 29 to May 2, 2026 at Winchester Street Theatre (80 Winchester Street).
- Find tickets and show details [HERE].
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