In harmony with a conception of dance that is allergic to the separation between genres, the most curious choreographers of the 1990s nourish their exploration of the body with a movement philosophy that investigates the reasons behind dance, drawing freely from diverse schools and techniques. The goal is not merely an assembly of styles for its own sake, but rather the awareness of being able to reflect on the body, enriched by a broad cultural background that fosters stimuli and ideas.
Russell Maliphant, a rising name in English contemporary choreography, began creating works in 1991. His early training follows a classic trajectory: at the age of ten, Maliphant entered the Royal Ballet School. In 1981, he secured his first engagement with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. After dancing for seven years with the touring company Dance Advance, Maliphant shifted gears, working with Lloyd Newson and DV8, Michael Clark & Co., Laurie Booth, Rosemary Butcher, and Kirsty Simpson. As he recently recounted in an interview about his work published by Ballett Internazional/Tanz Aktuelle, his journey from dancer to choreographer began with DV8, where he discovered a penchant for angular and contorted figures.
Since then, disciplines like Tai Chi, capoeira, yoga, the Rolfing Method, and even sculpture have formed the basis for developing a style aimed at achieving "kinesthetic awareness": learning to listen to the body to understand when to push a piece into a new movement. Interested in exploring the possible relationships between dance, light, and sound, Maliphant has dedicated two of his recent works to this theme: the duo "Unspoken" and the new trio "Decoy Landscape". Both pieces feature lighting designs by Michael Hulls, an artist with significant collaborations including Laurie Booth (who incidentally was hosted by Oriente Occidente in 1987).
"Decoy Landscape", danced to original music by Andy Cotton and performed by Maliphant himself along with two dancers, opens with the three bodies intertwined in a single figure: a sort of moving "form" that pivots on the sculptural qualities of a contact choreography. As the three dancers separate, the focus shifts to a circular energy conveyed through a dance that emphasizes movement possibilities over the dancers themselves. Key interpreters of this dynamic flow are the arms and elbows in twisting sequences, strong legs, and torsos that transmit impulses throughout the body, all arranged in a process of choreographic structuring and deconstruction characterized by uninterrupted pacing.
