{"id":123799,"date":"2026-04-28T16:27:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T20:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=123799"},"modified":"2026-04-28T20:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:00:02","slug":"interview-holla-jazz-founding-artistic-director-natasha-powell-talks-john-coltrane-room-upstairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/04\/28\/interview-holla-jazz-founding-artistic-director-natasha-powell-talks-john-coltrane-room-upstairs\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Holla Jazz Founding Artistic Director Natasha Powell Talks About John Coltrane & The Room Upstairs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dancer
Dancer Raoul Wilke in Holla Jazz\u2019 The Room Upstairs (Photo: Jason D\u2019Souza)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 and as a celebration of Holla Jazz<\/strong>\u2019s own 10 year anniversary. The Room Upstairs marks Holla Jazz\u2019s third full-length production, following the company\u2019s Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning production of Floor\u2019d.<\/p>\n

The title of the work refers to Coltrane\u2019s work space, a room he kept as a studio above the family residence where he practiced and wrote his music.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong>, with live musical accompaniment.<\/p>\n

Holla Jazz Founding Artistic Director Natasha Powell<\/strong>, who choreographed the work talks about the work in a statement:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 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\u2019s special room through jazz dance \u2014 to find that creative space where the boundary between art and life dissolves.\u201d<\/p>\n

LV caught up with Natasha Powell to talk about The Room Upstairs.<\/p>\n

\"Dancer
Dancer Miha Matevzic in Holla Jazz\u2019 The Room Upstairs (Photo: Jason D\u2019Souza)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Natasha Powell: The Interview<\/h2>\n

\u201cI would say, it kind of came, it was shared with me,\u201d Powell explains. She was introduced to a deeper understanding of Coltrane\u2019s work, practice, and life coming across his practice and life after watching the 2016 documentary Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me the part I really connected to was his humanity,\u201d she says. Powell was struck, in particular, with the spirituality he connected to his artistic practice. \u201cAnd just trying to be a force for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

He found a kind of purity in his musical expression; it was his philosophy of making art.<\/p>\n

Natasha wanted to create a work that was inspired not only by his art, but his spirituality and humanity. \u201cI think sometimes we see these large, great figures in arts and entertainment, and we often don\u2019t get a chance to see them as a human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Coltrane, art, music, and humanity were one and the same. \u201cIt was embedded in his craft.\u201d The more she found out about him, the more it also influenced how she heard and experienced his music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music started to have more purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n