Investigating the relationships between Dance, Health and the aesthetics of performance.
‘Creative Intensive’ programme by RMDC
coming soon…
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Our research interest
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Focus research
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EncoreEast project
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Russell receives his PhD
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Experiences and Perceptions of Dancers’ Body Sense and Potential, by Dr Angela Pickard
A naturally curious company whose work is often created around explorations. RMDC research approaches, methods and ways of working and the aesthetic implications on dancers’ performance, health and career longevity. We believe that through collaborating with researchers who share our curiosity and passion for movement, contemporary dance and health, we can play a part in growing the knowledge base in the dance and performance sector, as well as the academic and applied fields of movement research and science, to help improve the quality of training and healthful participation in dance and the movement arts.
We feel that scientific investigation of practices provides valuable insights that could help inform both the training of professional dancers and efforts to keep members of the general population actively aware & healthy.
Collaborators
We are building a group of researchers, collaborators & partners who share our research interests to develop discrete research projects with. Our current collaborators are…
Dr Angela Pickard
Professor Emma Redding
Dr Kelina Gotman
Claire Farmer
Why are we embarking on a programme of research?
At the root of the Russell Maliphant Dance Company is Russell’s unique journey through movement and somatic practice.
Those that have worked with him have a sense that his deep understanding of the anatomical structures and biomechanics of the moving body enable him to draw out strong, efficient, fluid movements from his dancers, that works with, rather than against, their individual physical structures, whilst increasing their understanding of healthy possibilities and range of articulation over time.
Russell has successfully produced work with dancers who were able to continue working with him beyond their retirement from other dance performance contexts. Indeed, his approach has kept him dancing into his 60’s despite knee surgeries and dancing with no anterior cruciate ligament for more than 25 years. At RMDC we feel that further scientific investigation of his practice will provide valuable insights that could inform both the training of professional dancers and efforts to keep members of the general population active through creative, physical practice that is kind to the body and encourages the development of an ongoing freedom of movement.
The RMDC Research Programme is therefore bringing together researchers from different disciplines in the fields of health, science and the arts, to investigate and build on the academic, educational, and artistic knowledge and understanding of the practices he draws on.
The research programme and its findings are integrated into our programmes of artistic and educational activity and adapted to different learning standards and levels, for national and international participants and audiences.