posted November 29, 2000 08:36            

quote:

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"Russell Maliphant - Two-afternoon Course"
Choreographer and dancer Russell Maliphant will be leading a two-afternoon course at Greenwich Dance Agency on the 6th and 7th December. The workshop will integrate principles and practices from a variety of body orientated techniques (including Yoga, Release technique, Contact Improvision and the Martial Arts). Each afternoon will begin with general body practice and develop to explore choreographic qualities and elements of contact in the creation of dance material. The cost is £30, with concessions at £20. To book please telephone Joni Howard on 020 8293 9741.

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posted November 29, 2000 13:09            

Clement Crisp rates him very highly and below Ismene Brown sings his praises:

Shiftand Critical mass

posted October 03, 2001 16:41            

10.01.01
Russell Maliphant Company [UNITED KINGDOM]
Stream and Shift
Salle Ludger-Duvernay, Monument-National
Festival International de Nouvelle Danse

Choreography: Russell Maliphant

Performed by: Russell Maliphant Shift; Russell Maliphant, Dana Fouras, Yuval Pick Stream

Music: The Shirley Thompson Group

Lighting: Michael Hulls

The Russell Maliphant Company was well received in Montréal. The past two weeks of very experimental works have taken their toll on an audience hungry for pure dance. Maliphant is a strong dancer who was equally matched by Dana Fouras and Yuval Pick (Maliphant and Fouras are former members of London's Royal Ballet). There was a nice sense of evennesss and flow in all of the pieces that were performed, particularly in Dana Fouras' solo. And there was a good chemistry between the dancers. It was all very pleasant. Almost too much for my taste.

During the performance I couldn't quite figure out what was bothering me, everything on stage was smooth: the lights, the music, and the choreography. My problem is that when I see dancers with as much ability as those on stage I want at least some of the choreography to push them a little, but none of these pieces ever seemed to go outside of the comfort zone. It was all well placed and precise, and quite frankly that was a little disappointing.

The lifts that Maliphant and Fouras performed were far too predictable and repeated ad nauseam. I don't think simulating contact with ballet lifts is very contemporary. Maliphant hasn't really left ballet behind, he just dresses his dancers in baggy pants and shirts. I could literally picture him in the role of the prince in the afore-mentioned duet. I'm not saying that modern dance always has to be angst ridden and twitchy or that we need to have a sense of the work that's going on, because there will always be ballet companies looking to put modern works in their repertory that won't drive away their regular subscribers. There couldn't be a safer choice than Maliphant to fulfill that need.