Russell Maliphant Dance Company unveils ‘Vortex’ with 1,000 free tickets

The critically acclaimed, award winning, Russell Maliphant Dance Company is setting off on a major UK national tour for its brand new project Vortex, from esteemed director and choreographer Russell Maliphant.

Inspired by masters of the twentieth-century, Russell Maliphant brings to audiences a new production influenced by the works of Jackson Pollock and abstract expressionism.

With elements of nature, pouring to the floor, and a large steel structure, Russell Maliphant paints his own interpretation with movement, light, and shadow to create a visually rich journey, with the exceptional dancers of the Company.

Vortex showcases Russell Maliphant’s unique approach to flow and energy and his ongoing exploration of the relationship between movement, light and music. 

Russell Maliphant gives an insight into Vortex

“The work of Jackson Pollock had made a lasting impression on me since the first time I encountered it many years ago. I saw certain similarities in the approach to painting and energy that might sometimes be experienced in dance and movement tasks for improvisation and instantaneous composition in performance. 

“As a choreographer, I have generally created abstract, non-narrative work since I started RMDC, but I have made a couple of pieces that used another artist and their work as inspiration – namely ‘Afterlight’ (2009) which used the great Russian dancer Nijinsky as inspiration and ‘The Rodin Project ‘(2012) which used the sculptures and watercolours of the genius French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

“The creative process is altered when having a particular aesthetic to draw inspiration from and mingle with one’s own ideas. It offers a new lens through which to interpret the elements and themes around which to gather ideas. The research and development necessarily follows a different trajectory as there are particular concrete elements to dig into.

“The idea for the project began before the pandemic hit in 2020 but was put on hold, other than a couple of weeks of explorations in the studio. These started to reveal elements I wanted to work with and developed as I began working with my collaborators: Ryan Stafford, Katya Richardson, and Stevie Stewart.” 

Collaborators: Ryan Stafford (lighting design), Katya Richardson (composer) and Stevie Stewart (costume design).

1000 free tickets for your people

Together with partners the Victoria Wood Foundation and The Foyle Foundation, Russell Maliphant Dance Company has established the Dance Encounter Fund (DEF), offering 1,000 free tickets to young people aged 14 – 25 across the UK during the Vortex tour.

DEF will enable RMDC to make experiencing and engaging with live performance a reality for diverse young people, where ticket cost may ordinarily act as a barrier. 

Tour Dates

30 September to June 2023 

Vortex will premiere on 30 September 2022 at DanceEast Ipswich, where the Company is in Residence, before heading to London, Nottingham, Chester, Kent, Colchester, Huddersfield, Bracknell, Lancaster, plus more to be announced. 

For more details and tickets: www.russellmaliphantdancecompany.com