Royston Maldoom
Encyclopedia
Royston Maldoom, OBE
(born 1943 in Harrow
, London
) is a British choreographer whose works, including Adagietto and Ursprung, have been performed for various dance companies, such as The Jefferson Dancers
and Dance Theatre of Harlem
.
Since then he has created works for companies in Britain and abroad, including Dance Theatre of Harlem
(New York), ‘Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company’ (Georgia USA), ‘Ballet San Marcos’ (Peru), ‘Northern Ballet Theatre’ (Manchester UK), ‘EMMA Dance Company’ (Leicestershire UK), Scottish Ballet
(Glasgow UK) for whom, in collaboration with Graham Bowers, he created ‘Ursprung’.
In 1975 his small group, ‘Mercury Dance Company’, won first prize at the 7th International Choreographic Competition at Bagnolet in Paris, and was subsequently awarded the ‘Foundation of France’ prize for choreographer and company.
Maldoom was appointed ‘Dance Artist in Residence’ jointly by Fife and Tayside Regional Councils in January 1981. The year’s residency with financial support from the Scottish Arts Council
, was the first of its kind to cover an area rather than a single institution, and through his unique and unconventional approach to dance successfully encouraged participation and interest in dance within communities, with performance workshops and classes, on a scale not seen before.
He was responsible with others in forming Dundee Repertory Dance Theatre
and in his role as Artistic Director, established a solid, successful and ongoing base for professional contemporary dance in Scotland. He also maintained his commitment to community dance by setting up annual summer projects, where people within the community regardless of age and experience, could participate in a work that culminated in a performance to commissioned music and stage design at a professional venue. One such work was ‘Bivouac’ where Gordon McPherson
wrote the musical score and Graham Bowers designed the costumes and stage set.
The company was renamed several years later and adopted the name Scottish Dance Theatre
, after the closure of Peter Royston
’s original company of the same name.
The following is taken from the website of Rhythm Is It!
…..Following a period as Dance Research Officer for Stirling District Council he moved to London and began to work more internationally in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Oregon (USA), Lithuania during the independence struggle and Croatia/Bosnia during the Balkan conflict.
Royston has worked with former street children in Ethiopia, marginalised children in Peru, Catholic and Protestant youth in Northern Ireland, male and female prison inmates, children and adults with Learning Difficulties, young people excluded from mainstream education, and children -in-exile as well as in many primary and secondary schools, and vocational dance colleges
Royston has worked extensively in Germany as choreographer of the European youth dance festival in Duisburg, The Britisch-Deutscher Jugendtanzaustausch in Berlin in 1989 to 1991, visiting choreographer to the Hochschule für darstellende Kunst Ballet School, Frankfurt, and most recently with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
The Berlin project was the most recent in a series of works for orchestra that included the London Symphony Orchestra
, Ulster Orchestra
, Scottish Chamber
and Symphony Orchestra's, Natal Symphony Orchestra and several Chamber Orchestra's and Choirs.
His The Rite of Spring
has been performed in Addis Ababa
, Duisburg
, Berlin
(1990 and 2003), Lima
, Belfast
, London
, Vilnius
, Glasgow
and in many schools and communities in the UK.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1943 in Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British choreographer whose works, including Adagietto and Ursprung, have been performed for various dance companies, such as The Jefferson Dancers
The Jefferson Dancers
The Jefferson Dancers is the performance group of advanced students from the magnet arts dance program at Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company was founded by Mary Vinton Folberg in the early 1980s...
and Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a ballet company and school of the allied arts founded in Harlem, New York City, USA in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook...
.
Dance, Choreography and Community Dance.
Royston Maldoom’s career as a choreographer began in1972 when he received a major Gulbenkian Foundation award for his work in a royal Ballet Workshop.Since then he has created works for companies in Britain and abroad, including Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a ballet company and school of the allied arts founded in Harlem, New York City, USA in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook...
(New York), ‘Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company’ (Georgia USA), ‘Ballet San Marcos’ (Peru), ‘Northern Ballet Theatre’ (Manchester UK), ‘EMMA Dance Company’ (Leicestershire UK), Scottish Ballet
Scottish Ballet
Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the four leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet...
(Glasgow UK) for whom, in collaboration with Graham Bowers, he created ‘Ursprung’.
In 1975 his small group, ‘Mercury Dance Company’, won first prize at the 7th International Choreographic Competition at Bagnolet in Paris, and was subsequently awarded the ‘Foundation of France’ prize for choreographer and company.
Maldoom was appointed ‘Dance Artist in Residence’ jointly by Fife and Tayside Regional Councils in January 1981. The year’s residency with financial support from the Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
, was the first of its kind to cover an area rather than a single institution, and through his unique and unconventional approach to dance successfully encouraged participation and interest in dance within communities, with performance workshops and classes, on a scale not seen before.
He was responsible with others in forming Dundee Repertory Dance Theatre
Dundee Repertory Theatre
Dundee Repertory Theatre or Dundee Rep is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house - hosting work from visiting companies throughout Scotland and the United...
and in his role as Artistic Director, established a solid, successful and ongoing base for professional contemporary dance in Scotland. He also maintained his commitment to community dance by setting up annual summer projects, where people within the community regardless of age and experience, could participate in a work that culminated in a performance to commissioned music and stage design at a professional venue. One such work was ‘Bivouac’ where Gordon McPherson
Gordon McPherson
Gordon McPherson is a Scottish composer. He studied at the University of York, England, returning there for his doctorate, continuing with post-doctoral research at the Royal Northern College of Music....
wrote the musical score and Graham Bowers designed the costumes and stage set.
The company was renamed several years later and adopted the name Scottish Dance Theatre
Scottish Dance Theatre
Scottish Dance Theatre is a British contemporary dance company based at Dundee Repertory Theatre, Scotland.-The company:Scottish Dance Theatre is led by Artistic Director Janet Smith, who is a vital contributor to its choreographic repertoire...
, after the closure of Peter Royston
Peter Royston
Peter Royston is a dancer/ choreographer/teacher/director.A successful career as a ballet dancer was followed by a choreographic career initiated by Scottish Ballet Director Peter Darrell who chose a workshop piece Steps to ..? for the company repertoire. This was followed by several commissions...
’s original company of the same name.
The following is taken from the website of Rhythm Is It!Rhythm Is It!Rhythm Is It! is a 2004 German documentary film directed by Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch. The film documents a project undertaken by the Berlin Philharmonic principal conductor Simon Rattle and choreographer Royston Maldoom who decided to popularize classical music by staging a...
…..Following a period as Dance Research Officer for Stirling District Council he moved to London and began to work more internationally in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Oregon (USA), Lithuania during the independence struggle and Croatia/Bosnia during the Balkan conflict.Royston has worked with former street children in Ethiopia, marginalised children in Peru, Catholic and Protestant youth in Northern Ireland, male and female prison inmates, children and adults with Learning Difficulties, young people excluded from mainstream education, and children -in-exile as well as in many primary and secondary schools, and vocational dance colleges
Royston has worked extensively in Germany as choreographer of the European youth dance festival in Duisburg, The Britisch-Deutscher Jugendtanzaustausch in Berlin in 1989 to 1991, visiting choreographer to the Hochschule für darstellende Kunst Ballet School, Frankfurt, and most recently with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
The Berlin project was the most recent in a series of works for orchestra that included the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, Ulster Orchestra
Ulster Orchestra
The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall...
, Scottish Chamber
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is Scotland's national chamber orchestra, based in Edinburgh. One of Scotland’s five National Performing Arts Companies, the SCO performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland. The SCO appears...
and Symphony Orchestra's, Natal Symphony Orchestra and several Chamber Orchestra's and Choirs.
His The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
has been performed in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1990 and 2003), Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and in many schools and communities in the UK.
External links
- Maldoom's Official Homepage
- Maldoom's Profile on Dance United Website
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/nov/03/dance
- http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/3158/interview-royston-maldoom