Maliphant/Vangelis, The Thread online
Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage's latest offering is The Thread, choreographer Russell Maliphant’s foray into Greek culture and myth in collaboration with the legendary musician and composer Vangelis
Russell Maliphant/Vangelis, The Thread © Nikiforos
Streamed on Friday 17 April at 7pm on Sadler's Wells Facebook page and YouTube channel as part of Sadler's Wells Digital Stage
Available for SEVEN days afterwards
The Thread premiered at Sadler’s Wells just over a year ago, and it’s exciting to have the chance to see it again through a new medium.
Russell Maliphant and Vangelis’ starting point was the continuous flow between past and present, from ancient Greece – the cradle of Western culture – to modern times. That flow, or The Thread, gives the work its title and points, too, to the Greek myth of the Minotaur, the ferocious part-bull, part-man monster, who was kept in a Cretan labyrinth. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus, who found his way out of the labyrinth with the help of a thread laid by Ariadne.
Not that Maliphant and Vangelis’ The Thread attempts to create a linear narrative of any kind; rather it evolves as a collection of atmospheric dances, where Greek folk dance alternates with sections of pure Maliphant and a few where the two traditions blend.
As the curtain goes up, 18 dancers stand in a pool of mellow light formed into two concentric circles, arms around each others’ waists. Slowly they bend backwards, rather like a flower opening up for the day, only to close up again.
Gradually the circles widen, the dancers hold hands and form an undulating line, a thread that evolves around the stage to the crescendo of Vangelis’ score. Theirs are the steps and formations of traditional Greek dancing, the women in flowing striped skirts in tones of blue and red, the men in dark trousers and matching tops.
This opening places the work firmly in Greece. All 18 dancers are Greek, 12 of them contemporary dancers, the remaining six traditional. All had to adapt not only to each others’ disciplines, but also to Russell Maliphant’s very specific choreographic style with its blend of ballet, contemporary dance, tai ch’i and Brazilian capoeira.
All production values are immaculate. Vangelis' recorded music, played on traditional instruments with the participation of a polyphonic group, runs the full gamut from pensive adagio to orgasmic frenzy.
The costumes, which change subtly between scenes, bear the signature of the London-based Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou.
Regular Maliphant collaborator Michael Hulls works his usual magic with lighting, creating visual imagery strongly reminiscent of ancient Greek friezes or of a mythical river where four graceful nymphs while away their time.
Available for SEVEN days afterwards
The Thread premiered at Sadler’s Wells just over a year ago, and it’s exciting to have the chance to see it again through a new medium.
Russell Maliphant and Vangelis’ starting point was the continuous flow between past and present, from ancient Greece – the cradle of Western culture – to modern times. That flow, or The Thread, gives the work its title and points, too, to the Greek myth of the Minotaur, the ferocious part-bull, part-man monster, who was kept in a Cretan labyrinth. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus, who found his way out of the labyrinth with the help of a thread laid by Ariadne.
Not that Maliphant and Vangelis’ The Thread attempts to create a linear narrative of any kind; rather it evolves as a collection of atmospheric dances, where Greek folk dance alternates with sections of pure Maliphant and a few where the two traditions blend.
As the curtain goes up, 18 dancers stand in a pool of mellow light formed into two concentric circles, arms around each others’ waists. Slowly they bend backwards, rather like a flower opening up for the day, only to close up again.
Gradually the circles widen, the dancers hold hands and form an undulating line, a thread that evolves around the stage to the crescendo of Vangelis’ score. Theirs are the steps and formations of traditional Greek dancing, the women in flowing striped skirts in tones of blue and red, the men in dark trousers and matching tops.
This opening places the work firmly in Greece. All 18 dancers are Greek, 12 of them contemporary dancers, the remaining six traditional. All had to adapt not only to each others’ disciplines, but also to Russell Maliphant’s very specific choreographic style with its blend of ballet, contemporary dance, tai ch’i and Brazilian capoeira.
All production values are immaculate. Vangelis' recorded music, played on traditional instruments with the participation of a polyphonic group, runs the full gamut from pensive adagio to orgasmic frenzy.
The costumes, which change subtly between scenes, bear the signature of the London-based Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou.
Regular Maliphant collaborator Michael Hulls works his usual magic with lighting, creating visual imagery strongly reminiscent of ancient Greek friezes or of a mythical river where four graceful nymphs while away their time.
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
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| What | Maliphant/Vangelis, The Thread online |
| Where | Online | MAP |
| When |
17 Apr 20 – 24 Apr 20, 19:00 Dur.: 1 hour 15 mins no interval |
| Price | £N/A |
| Website | https://www.facebook.com/SadlersWells/ |