Buy tickets for THE RODIN PROJECT at Sadler’s Wells now in October! 50% sold already.
The tickets has gone on sale for The Russell Maliphant Company’s “The Rodin Project” at Sadler’s Wells 29th-31st October. I noticed that half of the tickets are already sold so you better get in there quick. Follow the link below to book your tickets and have a look at the trailer too.
http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Russell-Maliphant-Company-The-Rodin-Project
The Russell Maliphant Company is coming to Huddersfield with The Rodin Project Monday 27th Feb
It’s the only chance to come and watch it up in the north a the moment. Would love to see you there!
Click on the link below to book tickets.
Our 5 star review in The Evening Standard of “The Rodin Project” at Sadler’s Wells 5 February 2012
The Rodin Project / Russell Maliphant Company – review
6 Feb 2012
Russell Maliphant’s new work opens, appropriately enough given the artist who inspired it, like a fin de siècle fantasy of classical Greece.
In a sumptuously sleazy atelier, hung with fabrics, six figures arrange themselves on what looks like a huge bedsheet flung across a mountainous heap of cushions. The symbiotically responsive glow of Michael Hulls’s lighting is already starting to fragment their bodies, isolating muscles, limbs and lines of tension in a way that gets more aggressive as the dance evolves.
The men are dressed like fighting slaves in diaper-loincloths, and the women like racy priestesses. As Alexander Zekke’s specially commissioned cello score slowly yearns for something it can never quite place, they model as athletes and wrestlers, sirens and waterbearers.
Tommy Franzén, a human rubber ball recently seen in Some Like It Hip Hop, engages Tomasin Gülgeç in a circling, capoeira-style contest just after being puppeteered across the stage by Jenny White, using rods of the sort on which sculptors impale clay limbs to hold them in place. The sublimation of piercing and control, as coldly erotic as it is beautiful, would have thrilled the heart of J G Ballard.
At the start of the second part the clothes are modern and the fabrics stripped away, revealing metal walls and ramps, like a brutalist playground in a nursery school for free runners. The dancers hang, slide, tumble and contort themselves, while the choreography shapes a language of delight from a vocabulary of torment.
With The Rodin Project, Maliphant has made something formal enough to satisfy the Académie, and sexy as (the Gates of) Hell.
Returns in October (0844 412 4300, sadlerswells.com)
To view the original article click HERE!
Russell Maliphant Company: The Rodin Project, London – The Guardian
The Rodin Project. Photo: PR
Russell Maliphant’s 2009 work AfterLight was created in response to the drawings of Vaslav Nijinsky, to the dynamic energy and tension that the great dancer evoked through pencil and paper as well as through his body on stage. Now Maliphant turns to the drawings and sculptures of August Rodin for inspiration. Using a very mixed cast of dancers – skilled in popping and breaking as well as contemporary dance, and including all-round virtuoso Tommy Franzen – Maliphant aims not so much to recreate such famous Rodin images as The Kiss, rather to draw on their physical mass, form and drama. It’s set to a newly commissioned score by Russian composer Alexander Zekke, with a design team including Es Devlin, Stevie Stewart and long-term Maliphant collaborator Michael Hulls.
Sadler’s Wells, EC1, Sun
Judith Mackrell
Russell Maliphant Company – The Rodin Project @Sadlerswells 5th February 2012
I’m dancing with Russell Maliphant Company at the moment and we have one show at Sadler’s Wells as part of British Dance Edition 5th February 2012.
“As part of British Dance Edition London 2012, Russell Maliphant presents a special showing of his new dance piece, which returns to Sadler’s Wells in October. After the triumph of his Olivier Award-nominated and Critics’ Circle National Dance Award-winning AfterLight, this new production is inspired by the works of the great French sculptor, Auguste Rodin.
For this work, Maliphant has collaborated with a group of extraordinary performers, using a movement vocabulary influenced by the dance forms of popping, breaking and contemporary dance, integrated through Maliphant’s language of flow, form and dynamics.”
Book tickets here! http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Russell-Maliphant-Company
Cloud Dance Festival Part 1 by Dancetothis.com
http://www.dancetothis.tv/video.php?id=663
Dance to this
Cloud Dance Festival Summer 2011
Highlights video of my performance of “Don’t hate the Player, Hate the Game”.
This is the highlights from when I performed a solo choreographed by Kristen McNally called “Don’t hate the Player, Hate the Game” at Cloud Dance Festival 23rd July 2011.
An accumilation of reviews from my performance of “Don’t hate the Player, Hate the Game” by Kristen McNallly at Cloud Dance Festival 2011
Retox Magazine – M. Andre
“Tommy Franzen, as expected, gave a blasting performance to close the show – the best saved for the last.
Tommy Franzen turns the stage into a serious sizzler
The versatile hip-hop sensation Tommy Franzen, the first ever hip-hop dancer who was nominated for a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award earlier this year gave a heated performance effortlessly accelerating into top gear with his breaks, as always, in tact.
As we know, Tommy Franzen was an aerialist in the opening ceremony for the Asian Games, and in the closing ceremony Tommy played a lead character as an actor. Tommy Franzen also has a strong background in musical theatre and has previously taken dance classes in a variety of styles. Defining Tommy as a hip-hop dancer would therefore be a bit of an understatement. Much of what we saw during the So You Think You Can Dance series last year and even on Saturday night at Cloud Dance Festival where Tommy Franzen stepped into the role created by the Royal Ballet’s soloist Thomas Whitehead in Kristen McNally’s famous choreographed piece “Don’t Hate The Player, Hate The Game”, which he very much made it his own, not only shows Tommy’s passion for different forms of dance but continues to exhibit skill and talent. No wonder Urdang Academy offered Tommy a scholarship back in 2000.”
Thepublicreviews.com – Tony Stotts-Rates
“Festival headliner Kristen McNally’s enjoyable Don’t hate the player, Hate the game, was a worthy close to the night and hip hop dancer Tommy Franzen a very engaging performer. McNally is known for her use of pop culture music and references mixed with some exciting choreography to create fresh cutting edge pieces. In this she successfully merges various dance styles from breaking to contemporary ballet movement which is effectively explored and performed by b-boy Franzen. What makes this piece stand out for me was how palpably the dancer enjoyed dancing it, it was sexy and dangerous, humorous and fun, dancer and movement interacting with the music and lighting, bringing to mind James Bond, Cowboys, and suave and dapper gentleman partners at formal dances.”
Londondance.com – Libbo Costello
“Bringing Firefly to a close on Saturday was perhaps the most anticipated artist of the evening. Tommy Franzen, of So You Think You Can Dance fame, performed Royal Ballet soloist, Kristen McNally’s Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game. It was originally choreographed to Kanye West’s latest album, in the Apple Store, Covent Garden earlier this year. With the audience helping to create the work, this was probably one of the first dance pieces to be made interactively in a shop.
Franzen took the place of Royal Ballet soloist Thomas Whitehead in this reworked solo and used his unique hip hop based style to ease through the movements. At least part of the joy of watching Franzen is down to the sheer happiness he radiates when on stage. McNally’s choreography saw him, with the help of the music, transform from gentry to city slicker in a few brief movements.”
Dance Ink
“Highlights of the evening included Kristen McNally’s work, Don’t hate the player, Hate the game, danced exquisitely by Tommy Franzen. The music, moves and charisma had the audience laughing for the mere joy of it.”
The Londonist – Lindsey Clarke
“Star billing goes to all round ace and SYTYCD star, Tommy Franzen dancing a solo by Royal Ballet soloist and groovy mix it up with hip hop choreography cat, Kristen McNally. Tommy is – as always – awesome”
Laura Dodge
“Known for her small-scale ‘indie ballets’ with modern cultural references, Kristen McNally’s choreography fuses numerous dance styles to varied sound accompaniment – from music to the spoken word. Don’t hate the player, Hate the game was an utterly engaging piece and a comment on people’s need to conform rather than dare to be original. Hip-hop dancer Tommy Franzén was exquisite, especially in robotic body isolations where he moved minute body parts with the utmost precision. He seemed to be testing out different identities in order to find one that fitted, always moving with a tangible pleasure and allure. At times bouncy, at others poignant and everything in between, Don’t hate the player rounded off the evening with a punch.”
” Sunday evening concluded with a second showing of Kristen McNally’s Don’t hate the player, Hate the game. Again performed exceptionally by Tommy Franzén, this rounded off Cloud Dance Festival’s weekend of choreographic treats wonderfully.”
Celia Moran
“Kristen McNally’s Don’t hate the player, Hate the game performed by Tommy Franzen left no dance genre unturned. Franzén sauntered from popping, to breaking , mime and contemporary seamlessly. However, writing this made me question: why is this noteworthy? If a breaking move fits in the music alongside contemporary, why should it be out of context? It’s all dance, isn’t it? Although McNally will admit: ‘it was based on my interest in the Stanford prison experiment and our nature to conform to a perceived ideal. As always it ended up a million miles from this!’ I’ll forgive a tangent when it’s this enjoyable to watch!”
Kim Lofthouse (Cultiv8 Arts)
“The night culminated with Kristen McNally’s “Don’t hate the player, Hate the game”, an edgy indie ballet performed by hip-hop dancer Tommy Franzén. The exquisite choreography is peppered with pop culture references from Reservoir Dogs to Michael Jackson and this is reflected in the modern score and the urban edge that Franzén brings to the classical ballet movements within the piece. The themes of conformity & control that inspired McNally quickly become evident as the dancer shifts seamlessly between conforming to and resisting the demands of the music. Franzén personifies this character wonderfully, engaging the audience throughout and leading us on the same adrenaline-filled journey that he is going through on stage. The blending of the classical and the modern is the true genius of this piece, making it endlessly engaging to a modern audience of dance lovers and dance first timers.”
“The climax of the night was Kristen McNally’s “Don’t hate the player, Hate the game”, an edgy indie ballet performed by hip-hop dancer, Tommy Franzén. Normally, I struggle to watch dance pieces more than once and still feel the same sense of excitement as I do the first time, but this was definitely not the case for this one. The pop culture references and blend of humanity & urban edginess that Franzén brings to this piece resonated as loudly the second time as it had the first, enthralling the audience. It was truly a joy to be able to watch this piece a second time and pick up on the subtler nuances of McNally’s choreography that underpin the tangible energy of this piece and its dynamic blend of old and new, urban and classical. It is this mixture that sets the piece apart from its rivals as something truly original. A wonderfully high-octane end to a fantastic weekend of dance.”
Michelle Harris
“Closing the show with a work that in contrast brought some light relief to the evenings more serious offerings was Firefly’s festival headliner Kristen McNally. A soloist for the Royal Ballet, McNally presented Don’t Hate The Player, Hate The Game, a quirky animated solo, reworked for the BBC’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ finalist and ZooNation’s star Tommy Franzén. Although originally based on McNally’s interest in the Stanford prison experiment, it’s not this narrative that ultimately shines through during the dance, but Franzen himself, with an absorbing and charismatic performance.
Whether a debonair hero, cowboy or enthusiastic Elvis impersonator, Franzén struts, body pops, leaps and windmills his way through the material, gloriously imitating the melo-dramatic intro to Michael Bubles’ ‘Cry Me A River’ and then a beaty, up-tempo electronic track. A fusion of Street Dance, Contemporary and Balletic styles, McNally’s witty, cutting edge choreography sits well on Franzen, effectively showcasing his talent for versatility and musicality. If there’s one criticism for McNally it’s that this enjoyable escapade seems to end too soon.”
Susanne Allen
“The evening drew to a close with an outstanding performance by Swedish-born dancer Tommy Franzén, with choreography by Royal Ballet soloist Kristen McNally. Don’t hate the player, Hate the game was truly worth the wait as Franzén plays out numerous styles from classical ballet to body popping and hip-hop, a style Franzén is renowned for, which was utterly superb. There has been a buzz of excitement surrounding Cloud Dance Festival this year like no other Festival before it, and for me, this performance was the reason. McNally’s unique choreography and Franzén’s mesmerising performance was breathtaking.”
© Jonathan Hughes
© Jonathan Hughes
Retox Magazine’s review of Cloud Dance Festival – Firefly. It’s having me feel enormously honoured!
M. Andre from Retox Magazine came to watch Cloud Dance Festival – Firefly on Saturday the 23rd of July and this is her review of it. She has written such nice things about me and I’m still buzzing from reading it. I’m very happy…
http://www.retoxmagazine.com/cloud-dance-festival-firefly-pleasance-theatre.html
Here is an outtake from what she wrote:
“Tommy Franzen, as expected, gave a blasting performance to close the show – the best saved for the last.
Tommy Franzen turns the stage into a serious sizzler
The versatile hip-hop sensation Tommy Franzen, the first ever hip-hop dancer who was nominated for a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award earlier this year gave a heated performance effortlessly accelerating into top gear with his breaks, as always, in tact.
As we know, Tommy Franzen was an aerialist in the opening ceremony for the Asian Games, and in the closing ceremony Tommy played a lead character as an actor. Tommy Franzen also has a strong background in musical theatre and has previously taken dance classes in a variety of styles. Defining Tommy as a hip-hop dancer would therefore be a bit of an understatement. Much of what we saw during the So You Think You Can Dance series last year and even on Saturday night at Cloud Dance Festival where Tommy Franzen stepped into the role created by the Royal Ballet’s soloist Thomas Whitehead in Kristen McNally’s famous choreographed piece “Don’t Hate The Player, Hate The Game”, which he very much made it his own, not only shows Tommy’s passion for different forms of dance but continues to exhibit skill and talent. No wonder Urdang Academy offered Tommy a scholarship back in 2000.”
First review of Cloud Dance Festival – Firefly on www.thepublicreviews.com
It was been a great weekend performing and watching the other brilliant dance acts. Cloud Dance Festival is created to celebrate contemporary dance and we sure did that for the last three days.
This was my first collaboration with Royal Ballet soloist Kristen McNally and I loved performing her solo “Don’t hate the Player, Hate the Game”. Outside The Royal Ballet Kristen is mostly known for her choreographic work in the style of “Indie Ballet” but maybe when I perform it should be called “Indie Hop”? 😉 I hope there will be more future collaborations with Kristen and I.
Here is the link to the first review I’ve found so far and below and outtake from the article.
http://www.thepublicreviews.com/cloud-dance-festival-firefly-pleasance-theatre-london/
“Festival headliner Kristen McNally’s enjoyable Don’t hate the player, Hate the game, was a worthy close to the night and hip hop dancer Tommy Franzen a very engaging performer. McNally is known for her use of pop culture music and references mixed with some exciting choreography to create fresh cutting edge pieces. In this she successfully merges various dance styles from breaking to contemporary ballet movement which is effectively explored and performed by b-boy Franzen. What makes this piece stand out for me was how palpably the dancer enjoyed dancing it, it was sexy and dangerous, humorous and fun, dancer and movement interacting with the music and lighting, bringing to mind James Bond, Cowboys, and suave and dapper gentleman partners at formal dances.”
Photographer: David Clerihew
Last night of my performance at the Cloud Dance Festival. 24th July at Pleasance Theatre in Islington.
I’m performing a solo called “Don’t hate the player, Hate the game” that is choreographed by Royal Ballet soloist Kristen McNally. It was originally choreographed on another Royal Ballet soloist Thomas Whitehead but as he is unavailable I’m doing it on the 23rd and 24th July.http://www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk/Firefly/Tommy-Franz%C3%A9n.htmlhttp://www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk/Firefly/Kristen-McNally.htmlThere are loads more contemporary dance acts over the three day event so it’s definitely worth coming down to.Here is the line up
http://www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk/Firefly/
Book your tickets here for only £10.
http://www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk/Tickets.html
22-24th July.
tommyfranzen 
