MALASHOCK DANCE ILLUMINATES TEN LOCAL CHOREOGRAPHERS KICKING OFF ITS 36TH SEASON
Diverse Group of Powerful Artistic Voices Take the Stage
December 13, 2023 – San Diego, CA, – Malashock Dance is thrilled to announce the launch of its 36th Season, now under the Artistic Director of Christopher K. Morgan, with Everyday Dances III. This third iteration of the concert features 10 local choreographers from diverse backgrounds.
Christopher will begin full time in January 2024 and is greatly looking forward to amplifying the voices of local choreographers in support of Malashock Dance’s initiative to become a hub for artists to create and engage together. “After beginning my dance career 28 years ago at Malashock Dance & Company, it is an incredible honor to return to the organization in a leadership capacity. It is a thrilling opportunity to sustain John’s work while bringing a fresh perspective from the array of experiences I’ve had since I last lived in San Diego. I look forward to learning more about the current San Diego arts community and supporting the growth and deepening of the arts ecology in San Diego and beyond,” says Morgan.
A New Approach
The concept of commissioning early and mid-career local artists and producing their work supports its mission to illuminate dance as an invaluable part of the human experience, creating a hub where artists come together to create new work and connect with audiences. The Founding Director, John Malashock, alongside Christopher K. Morgan have enjoyed discovering the wide variety of San Diego-based dance artists who are poised to share their powerful creative voices; demonstrate leadership; and fulfill their artistic vision in collaboration with a community of dance makers and professional dancers.
Diverse Artists
Viviana Alcazar says “I believe work that is intimate and deeply felt can impact and begin transform the many lives it reaches. We are at a time in life when audiences need inspiration to take risks and be vulnerable, it is an honor to share this work with the Malashock organization and audience. I enjoy story telling and using the the choreographic process for not only creative expression but to also provide healing and growth processing through the many shared experiences we have as humans. I enjoy when others can relate to my work, journey and form of expression.”
Matthew Armstrong, a current Malashock Dance Company dancer also performing in the show says “I am very interested to enter a choreographic process with some of the wonderful members of Malashock Dance and create a dance piece centered around the idea of growth. A subject that seems so easy to achieve in our childhood becomes more and more difficult for many as life progresses. I am currently investigating certain situations in my personal life where I try different elements to create a space for growth, whether that’s physical, mental or spiritual. I would love to play with these elements and ideas within my choreographic process.”
sol dela rosa says “Community is important, and working with dancers of this level is a privilege and honor. It allows for depth to be embodied, for community to be created, and for safe spaces to emerge. I find that these conditions then create a space for healing, storytelling, and for discovery of self and beyond. Working with dancers of this level will not only grant the opportunity to share my experiences but also to listen and hear of their own.”
Gary Champi, who danced with Malashock Dance Company in virtual projects during the pandemic, says “my brief experience with John and the company provided additional insight into my role as a dancer maker and educator, reinforcing that what we do is important. As a San Diego native, I would enjoy contributing to the arts community that welcomed me during the unprecedented times of 2020-2021.”
Megan Curet, also an instructor at the Malashock Dance School, says “As a Black Latina identifying artist and educator I made it my commitment long ago to tell the story of the muted, to speak on behalf of the unspoken, and to provide opportunities for those in any way shape and form that I could. I have also made certain that my choreographic work remains accessible to all bodies regardless of ability or location. Equity and inclusion take on different meanings across different borders but it remains a part of my mission to ensure that my practice and creative work speak to as many underrepresented bodies and communities as possible.”
John Malashock, Founding Director, will also have a work in the show. “As an artist, I have always felt that work which is the most personal is also the most universal. When we let movement or stories well up from inside, they tap into experiences that are common to all of us and connect as humans. I believe the power of dance is in its ability to connect directly with people’s emotions.”
Jessica Rabanzo-Flores, a Malashock Dance Company dancer also performing in the show says “In my choreographic process, I am always reminded of the beauty of humanity – how there is strength in our differences and in how we perceive and interpret the questions we ask ourselves not only as artists but as human beings. My project called she is what she is and she is whole is inspired by the wild woman archetype, expressed in a singular woman and then amongst four women. I was drawn to the book Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.”
Khamla Somphanh, a well-known and beloved instructor and mid-career choreographer returns to Malashock Dance’s unverse after taking a break from teaching at the Malashock Dance School. “My aesthetic lends itself to be full bodied and physically challenging, yet fluid and intuitive. This aesthetic layered in conjunction with the dancers’ individuality makes it become OUR movement. For me, the creative process is an all encompassing experience involving every participant and not one dancer is ever valued more than the next. I enjoy each stage of making dances, however the most rewarding part is when the dancers absorb the movement, process the story, and that collective moment when we feel the dance come alive.”
Kyle Sorensen and Gina Bolles Sorensen, founders of somebodies dance theater work together to create and share work. “Dance is our vehicle for processing life’s questions in ways that allow movers and watchers to discover a multiplicity of answers. Our dances invoke a sense of wonder and magic. They are luscious and powerful as well as delicate and curious. Often, our process begins with a visual juxtaposition – an unlikely relationship between dancers in space, an evocative costume, or scenic element – and then our ideas manifest in movement that is unique and specific to the examination at hand, to the world we are making.”
Chelsea Zeffiro, a multi-media artist and choreographer is also a member of the Malashock Dance Company and will perform in the show. She says of her process “Lately, I have been thinking about dance, choreography, and performance as a way to reorient the self and others toward alternate or somewhat unfamiliar possibilities. I have been turning to the works and practices of Deborah Hay, Italo Calvino, Ishmael Houston Jones, and Sara Ahmed in both my teaching and making to deepen my understanding of language and improvisation in performance and to make space for unfamiliar (or that which I do not yet know).”
For media inquiries, photos, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Molly Puryear, Malashock Dance
619-880-0054
About Malashock Dance
Malashock Dance, founded by John Malashock in 1988, is one of California’s foremost dance companies known for its innovation, creativity, and commitment to educational and artistic excellence in the field of dance. With a rich history of successful collaborations, nationally recognized education programs, a thriving community at its dance school in ARTS DISTRICT:Liberty Station, and a legacy of world-class performances, Malashock Dance continues to inspire audiences and enrich the community through the transformative power of dance. The mission of Malashock Dance is to illuminate the power of dance as an invaluable part of the human experience. It is a gathering place for artists to create new work, engage with the community, and provide unique educational opportunities. We believe dance belongs to everyone.
Show Times/Dates:
January 25-28, 2024
Location: Malashock Dance Studio Theater 2650 Truxtun Road Ste 200 San Diego, CA 92106
Tickets: $20-100
Website: www.MalashockDance.org
Note to editors: Further details about Everyday Dances III and Malashock Dance are available upon request.
Photos by Doug McMinimy Photography LINK