John Malashock, Artistic Director

After a distinguished performing career with Twyla Tharp Dance in New York and other companies, John Malashock founded Malashock Dance in 1988. He brings 35 years of experience in the fields of dance and theater to his current endeavors as its Artistic Director, where he has created nearly 60 original choreographic works. Malashock began his performing career with the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre, working with such distinguished choreographers as Lar Lubovitch, Anna Sokolow, Donald McKayle and Jennifer Muller. With the Tharp Company, Malashsock performed worldwide, was featured in numerous television specials (Dance in America, The Catherine Wheel, Twyla Tharp Scrapbook), appeared in the Academy Award winning Film Amadeus, and performed in benefit concerts with Baryshnikov and Cynthia Gregory.

Malashock’s productions have earned top awards in San Diego among the dance and Theater communities. He has garnered four Emmy Awards for his dance films (Love & Murder, The Soul of Saturday Night, Apologies from the Lower Deck, and The Gypsy’s Wife). His 2000 work, Blessings & Curses received the San Diego Dance Alliance's Tommy Award for Outstanding Overall Production as well as the KPBS Patte Award for Outstanding Dance Theatre.

His collaborative credits include choreography for the La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe Theatre, the San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Music Society, and the San Diego, San Francisco and New York City Operas. Upcoming collaborations include the Florida Grand Opera.

A respected teacher and leader within the dance community, he has served as a faculty member at the American Dance Festival, California State University Long Beach, and has taught throughout Europe, Asia and Central America. Malashock is also a fellow and affiliate artist of the Los Angeles and Israel based Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity. He recently took a leadership role in the development of a major new dance center at San Diego’s NTC Promenade.