Malashock Dance (San Diego, CA)
www.malashockdance.org

Malashock Dance celebrates its 20th anniversary under Emmy-winning choreographer and Twyla Tharp Dance veteran John Malashock. This beautifully trained company of eight dancers sustains the powerful movement, exquisite partnering and dramatic artistry that are signature elements of Malashock’s unique work. Malashock Dance’s repertoire includes over 60 original works that thrill, astonish and delight audiences through epic oeuvres interpreting human struggles, and intimate, playful programs conveying the intricacies of relationships.

Malashock Dance is also known for its sumptuous collaborative projects with composers, playwrights, artists and other arts organizations, including KPBS-TV, San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Music Society, and the Tony winning Old Globe Theatre.  The most recent collaboration between choreographer John Malashock and noted Persian composer Shahrokh Yadegari, Stay The Hand, enjoyed critically-acclaimed world premiere performances in April 2008. 

Malashock Dance is a wonderful company featuring an incredible range of world and internationally inspired programming.

Touring Programs
Tours with 8 dancers

Leonard Cohen Project
This full-evening draws on the richness and depth of Leonard Cohen’s music and poetry.  Cohen, a true living legend, brings an uncanny human understanding to his words while creating comically appealing and painfully truthful music; a perfect match for Malashock’s dramatic and darkly humorous choreographic style.

Stay The Hand
Malashock collaborates with Iranian-born composer Shahrokh Yadegari melding dance, music, poetry and design to explore ancient Persia's influence on our understanding of conflict and harmony. This program delves into powerful cultural traditions - providing a glimpse into the ancient world, with an eye toward reconciliation in difficult modern times. This innovative approach appeals broadly both cross-culturally and across artistic disciplines.

FATHOM: The Body as Universe
Drawing on ancient Buddhist concepts, FATHOM expresses the mystical language of the universe as spoken through the microcosm of the human body. The art works of renowned Japanese artist Junko Chodos transform in response to mesmerizing choreography through dance, visual art and music. Members of the San Diego Master Chorale lend their voices to Israeli composer Ariel Blumenthal's multi-layered and sensual score.   

Let’s Duet
This program features John Malashock’s favorite intimate duets and small works, performed to music ranging from classical to pop. This popular concert concept is suitable for small and medium sized venues.

Malashock Repertory Concert
Selections from Malashock’s award-winning repertoire of choreography. Catered to fit venues of all sizes and shapes.

Outreach

Emotion in Motion
Entering its 19th year as Malashock Dance’s signature educational program, Emotion in Motion is oriented toward third to sixth graders. These 90 minute sessions guide children through the process of turning their emotions into movement using dance as an educational tool to teach social skills, cooperative learning, and problem solving, while building self-esteem and self-confidence.

“On the Spot”
Malashock puts his creative talents on the line and puts himself “on the spot” with this unique program that has him literally creating new choreography on professional dancers in front of a studio audience. This is a part of the creative process that people NEVER get to see, and Malashock enjoys the immediacy and infotainment value of this unpredictable endeavor.

Malashock Dance Film Presentations
Malashock Dance showcases two of its Emmy-award winning dance films:

The Soul of Saturday Night
A dance film set to five songs by legendary Tom Waits. This film takes it to the streets to create the kind of humorously seedy world poignantly described in Waits’ songs:  dive bars, bad hotels rooms and train stations in the middle of the night.  Winner of 3 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Visual Arts Program.

Love & Murder
A unique dance film full of dark humor and stark tragedy, Love & Murder is set to five songs by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Love & Murder is an exhilarating peek into the minds of those who dangerously blur the line between fantasy and reality. Winner of 4 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Visual Arts Program.

Additional Outreach Activities include:
Student Performances
Master Classes
Workshops
Lecture/Demonstrations