Vortex BBC4
Photo: Roswitha Chesher
VORTEX by RUSSELL MALIPHANT DANCE COMPANY
FILMED FOR TELEVISION
Following Olivier Award winning Russell Maliphant Dance Company’s (RMDC) UK national tour of its latest production, Vortex, the company has revealed that the captivating show, filmed live at Sadler's Wells Theatre will be broadcast on the BBC.
“Imaginatively conceived and gorgeously executed”
Scheduled to air in 2024, the production, commissioned by BBC Arts and filmed by Martin Collins from Arts Trust Productions, will screen in its entirety. The ground-breaking production is inspired by abstract expressionism, and in particular, the works and processes of Jackson Pollock.
With creative collaborators Ryan Stafford (lighting design), Katja Richardson (music), Stevie Stewart (costume design) and the remarkable dancers of RMDC, Maliphant paints a unique and visually rich journey integrating the dynamic elements of movement, music, light, and shadow to create a piece unlike any other.
Those who missed the live performances of Vortex on the tour will now have the opportunity to enjoy the performance within the comfort of their own home, and those who attended the production previously will get the chance to view again.
Commenting on Vortex, Russell Maliphant says: “The works and processes of Jackson Pollock had made a lasting impression on me since the first time I encountered them many years ago. I saw similarities in the approach to painting and energy that might be experienced in dance and movement tasks for composition.
“Extraordinarily beautiful and always intriguing, a work that uses simple means to explore the act of creation itself”
“Since founding RMDC, as a choreographer, I have generally created abstract, non-narrative work. Two previous pieces have focused around the theme of an artist & their lives work as inspiration. ‘Afterlight’ (2009) used the great Russian dancer Nijinsky as inspiration and ‘The Rodin Project ‘(2012) focused on the sculptures and water-colours of the genius French sculptor, Auguste Rodin.
“The creative process is altered by having another aesthetic to group ideas around and draw inspiration from to mingle with one’s own. It offers a new lens through which to interpret elements and themes. Research and development necessarily follows a different trajectory, as there are particular concrete elements to dig into, reconfigure and interpret into a new form.
“The idea for Vortex began before the pandemic hit in 2020, but was put on hold, with the exception of some days of experimentation with individual dancers. Those early explorations revealed elements I wanted to work with and develop as I began collaborating with the creative team.”
Russell Maliphant Dance Company was established in 1996 as the framework for Maliphant to initiate productions and to work with his own ensemble of dancers. Since that time, the company has received two Olivier awards, three South Bank Show awards and four Critics’ Circle National Dance awards for best modern choreography, amongst many other national and international awards and nominations.
Following the unfortunate loss of its NPO last year, the internationally acclaimed RMDC is undergoing significant transitions into a new project-based model. This strategic shift aims to adapt and explore new innovative approaches as the company embarks on exciting and new sustainable endeavours.
Keep an eye out for further upcoming announcements from RMDC as the company enters a new chapter. Follow RMDC on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.