As we continue our Holding Light journey, the recent residency with renowned choreographer Russell Maliphant offered a powerful opportunity for exploration, growth, and discovery. Following an intensive week of movement, connection, and creativity, we sat down with recovery dancer Debbie to reflect on her experience and what she is taking forward. 

One of Debbie’s biggest reflections was recognising just how much her body has developed since Russell’s last training days with the company last year. 

“I can move a lot better than I could last time we had Russell with us,” she said. 

While Russell’s approach is rooted in biomechanics, anatomy, and the body’s interconnected systems, Debbie found that some of the learning from previous sessions had quietly continued working in the background. 

“Maybe I need more than one listen to something that’s that complex,” she reflected. “This time it’s sunk in further. I didn’t find it as hard this time around, and I can get up off the floor much easier now.” 

Her experience highlights something important about both dance and recovery: growth isn’t always immediate. Sometimes learning needs time to settle. The connections between mind and body develop gradually, emerging when we return to a practice with fresh understanding and confidence. 

Over the course of the Holding Light project, dancers have worked with a number of artists, each bringing their own unique approach. 

For Debbie, Russell’s methodology felt distinctly different from previous residencies. 

“Alice was all about how does it feel?” she explained. “Russell was more about how can we move it to show what we feel? Same result, different approach.” 

Where some workshops have explored imagination, sensation, and emotional landscapes, Russell invited dancers to focus on the mechanics of movement itself. Yet despite these differences, Debbie sees all the approaches as complementary. 

“The two of them together – it’s just been a brilliant experience.” 

One of the most surprising aspects of the week was how naturally a performance piece emerged. 

Rather than beginning with a fixed choreography, the dancers spent their time exploring questions, experimenting with movement, and playing with possibilities. 

“We were working through each little bit of the body. What can we do with that bit? How can you connect your toe to your ear?” Debbie laughed. 

What began as playful investigation gradually evolved into the latest chapter of the Holding Light trilogy: Holding Light Beside. 

“I didn’t really notice that we were choreographing until suddenly Russell said, ‘Right, we’ve got that bit.’ Then I realised, oh, that’s part of the piece!” 

By the end of the week, the company had created and filmed a complete work. 

“On Monday, I wouldn’t have thought we’d be filming it on Friday,” Debbie admitted. “I thought we’d still be picking bits here, there and everywhere. But we did it.” 

Reflecting on the process, Russell described creating a structure and framework that allowed performance to emerge through play rather than prescribing every movement. For Debbie, this made the experience both joyful and accessible. 

“It was a lot of fun because he made it so playful.”

As the Holding Light project continues to evolve, Debbie believes the company itself is growing stronger. 

“This particular group is rock solid,” she said. “We’re all there for each other. We all support each other.” 

She sees increased confidence across the dancers, built through shared creative experiences and performances. 

“Every time we do a big production, it builds more confidence in everybody.” 

The result is a space where artistic risk-taking feels possible because it is supported by trust, encouragement, and genuine care. 

“It’s just a fabulous environment to be in.”

With three distinct Holding Light pieces now created, excitement is building about bringing them together and discovering how they speak to one another. 

Having watched the works back-to-back, Debbie can already see the potential. 

“Totally different, but complementary,” she said. “When we put them all together, it’s going to be great.” 

As the company moves into the next phase of development, Debbie describes her feelings as a mixture of anticipation and nerves. 

“Excited and nervous. Definitely both.” 

It’s a fitting reflection for a project that continues to challenge, inspire, and bring people together. Through movement, play, and collaboration, Holding Light is becoming something truly special, and Holding Light Beside is an important part of that journey. 

Holding Light Beside was developed during Fallen Angels Dance Theatre’s residency with Russell Maliphant as part of the ongoing Holding Light project, exploring connection, creativity, recovery and collective performance through dance.