Malashock Dance: Past Events


  • Fall 1988 – Company officially founded. Performances at Sushi Performance & Visual Art.
  • Departure of the Youngsters (1988) – First of four projects with collaborating composer Mark Attebery
  • Stan's Retreat (1990) - Dance drama based on Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
  • Where the Arrow Landed (1990) – Creating an abstract world of beauty and longing, using the artwork of Pam DeLaura
  • 1991 – Established residence at Old Globe Theater with annual performances there for 12 years.
  • Labyrinth of the Green Horse (1991) - A fusion of Flamenco and modern dance created with incomparable Flamenco artist Yaelisa.
  • Apologies from the Lower Deck (1991) – A dance play created with playwright Michael Erikson.
  • 1992 – Company debuts in New York City at Dance Theater Workshop
  • Emmy Award (1992) - Apologies from the Lower Deck, KPBS-TV
  • Souvenir (1992) - A collaboration with the San Diego Symphony bringing a new dimension to this beloved Tchaikovsky work.
  • The Near Reaches (1993) - Set to incredibly beautiful and haunting Sephardic melodies performed by Hesperion XX.
  • Their Thought & Back Again (1994). A dance/musical created with composer Michael Roth.
  • Window Dressers (1994 or 5?) – First full-length work with music by Henryk Gorecki and scenic design by Ralph Funicello premieres at the Old Globe Theater.
  • Broad Waters (1995) - A suite of dance dramas set to Henryk Gorecki's choral arrangements of Polish folk songs with scenic design by Nancy Kittridge, lighting design by York Kennedy and costume design by Melanie Watnik.
  • Tribes (1996) – Set to rousing contemporary Klezmer music by Yale Strom.
  • 1997 – Major tour to Central Europe (Poland, Romania and Macedonia)
  • Swallow in a Word Cage (1997) – Set to Gibirtig's Yiddish songs written while in the concentration camps of WWII.
  • 1998 – Malashock choreographs Aida for the San Diego Opera
  • Love & Murder (1998) - A dark yet comedic vision set to songs by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
  • Take This Waltz (1999) - A heartbreaking and humorous interpretation of Leonard Cohen's wry poetic imagery.
  • Midnight in Paradise (1999) - A dance journey to another world through songs of the Portuguese musical group Madredeus.
  • Blessings & Curses (2000) – Major artistic collaboration written by Karen Hartman, set design by Ralph Funicello, co-directed by John Malashock and Naomi Newman, costumes by Deborah Dryden, lighting design by Gwen Grossman. Winner of of top dance and theater awards (which ones?)
  • Together in the Fires of Delight (2001) - Theater, dance, music, and song.
  • Emmy Award (2002) - The Gypsy’s Wife, KPBS-TV
  • The Soul of Saturday Night (2003) - Co-created with UCSD-TV director John Menier, set to five songs by Tom Waits and shot on location.
  • Emmy Award (2003) - Soul of Saturday Night, UCSD-TV
  • Love and Murder - Film (2004) – A darkly humorous dance film set to five songs by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Produced in collaboration with UCSD-TV director John Menier.
  • 2004 Malashock Dance commissioned to create choreography for San Diego Opera’s new production of The Pearl Fishers (designed by Zandra Rhodes). Subsequent re-staging’s throughout North America.
  • Emmy Award (2004) - Love and Murder, UCSD-TV
  • Fathom (2006) – Major artistic collaboration with Japanese-born artist, Junko Chodos, and Israeli composer, Ariel Blumenthal with Costume Design by Tina Haatainen-Jones and lighting design by Jennifer Setlow. Breaks new ground and attracts a new audience.
  • 2006 – Malashock-concieved project, Dance Place San Diego, becomes a reality and permanent home for Malashock Dance and The Malashock Dance School.
  • The Malashock Dance School (2007) - The Malashock Dance School opens in January 2007.
  • The Studio Series (2007) The first performances of The Studio Series take place in April and May 2007.
  • Malashock Thinks You Can Dance (2007) - Hosted by TV’s Mary Murphy and featuring celebrity contestants in a rollicking ballroom competition, benefiting The Malshock Dance School and Malashock Dance’s Education Outreach programs.
  • The Studio Series–Let’s Duet (2007) - The first studio series of the 20th anniversary season.
  • Let’s Duet (2007) - The first concert of the 20th anniversary season at Qualcomm Hall November 2, 3 and 4, 2007
  • The Studio Series-Stay The Hand (2008) – The first series, “On The Spot” opened the private world of artistic trial and error as Malashock began creating choreography for Stay The Hand February 1, 2 and 3; the second series presented completed phrases of choreography March 7, 8 and 9. Included were conversations with the choreographer, the composer and the dancers.
  • Stay The Hand (2008) – World Premiere of a major artistic collaboration with Persian composer Shahrokh Yadegari at the Birch North Park Theatre, April 4 – 13, with Costume Design by Jeanne Reith and Lighting Design by Jennifer Setlow. Stay The Hand is an inspiring fusion of contemporary movement and Persian poetry.
  • Malashock Thinks You Can Dance (2008) - Featuring celebrity contestants in a rollicking ballroom competition, benefiting The Malshock Dance School and Malashock Dance’s Education Outreach programs.
  • Let's Duet (2008) - The first concert of the 21st anniversary season at Qualcomm Hall, November
  • The Legend of the Persian Carpet (March, 2009) - Collaboration with Classics 4 Kids
  • The Studio Series: Shadow of Mercy (2009) - An exclusive look at the preparation for this world premiere performance, including conversations with the choreographer and dancers.
  • 4 x 4 x Floor (2009) - Malashock Dance Company Members perform an excerpt from The Gypsy's Wife at 4 x 4 x Floor, presented by The PGK Project at Bluefoot Bar & Lounge.
  • Shadow of Mercy (2009) - An poetic and powerful dance theater performance that blends the dark and humorous lyrics of Cohen with the provocative and deeply human choreography of John Malashock.
  • Michael Mizerany creates new work for Michigan Dance Collective (fall 2009)
  • Malashock Thinks You Can Dance (2009) - Third annual ballroom competition featuring celebrity contestants and their professional partners, benefiting The Malashock Dance School Education Outreach and Scholarship Programs.
  • Investigating Motion: UCSD AIDS Research Institute Benefit (October 2009)
  • Performance at The Movement (October 2009)
  • Malashock Dance: Surface Tension, Fall production at the Lyceum Theatre, Downtown San Diego (October 2009)
  • Malashock Dance performs TETHERED from WAYWARD GLANCES at The Movement (November 2009)
  • Malashock Dance participates in Friday Night Liberty at Liberty Station: Screening of Malashock Dance dance films LOVE & MURDER and SOUL OF SATURDAY NIGHT, plus a hip hop performance by Kruciaal Element! (November 2009)
  • Malashock Dance collaborates with Classics 4 Kids in the performance Rhythm, Rhyme, and Ragtime at the Balboa Theatre (November 2009)
  • Malashock Dance participates in Friday Night Liberty at Liberty Station: Screening of Malashock Dance dance films LOVE & MURDER and SOUL OF SATURDAY NIGHT, plus holiday gift specials! (December 2009)
  • Malashock Dance and the San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts presents a Lecture Demonstration: Jose Limon, the Artist as Outsider, featuring dancers from SCPA and COSA and a lecture by Francisco Ruvalcaba, principal dancer for the Limon Dance Company. (January 2010)