From an idea towards a performance. From an intention towards a dance.
A body of an actor is arguably the main means of expression in theatre. Movement is one of the central channels of information, one of the main languages used in theatre for communication with the audience. Maxim Didenko - a director, a choreographer and an actor - has made numerous performances that exist on the territory of dance and physical theatre; they are on the edge of dance and drama. Maxim is excited about the abilities of a human body; he is experimenting a lot with the ways to stretch its limits and find ways of using it in order to produce a concise and meaningful expression. In the workshop Maxim will share his method of making a show and his way of seeing a performer’s body. He will look into the ways of establishing contact between performer’s imagination and his/her body, generating and shaping an artistic statement and finding the means to express an idea through dance.
Maxim Didenko was born in Omsk in 1980. He is a graduate of the Omsk State University and St. Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy (he studied from Grigoriy Kozlov). 2004 -2009 Maxim was part of DEREVO Company. He performed in Ketzal, The Execution of Pierrot, Robert’s Dream, DiaGnoze, La Divina Comedia and others. Still part of the company, Maxim started making his own projects, such as Barbuzons (collaboration with R. Gabria) and Germinal (collaboration with a punk band The Last Tanks in Paris and a creative association NEVERPORN). In 2007 Maxim Didenko started collaborating with the Russian Engineering Theatre AKHE (shows: The Internal Immediate Cabaret of Gloria Transit, The Middle of the Black, The Depot of Genius Delusions). He also participated in Teatro Di Capua and Maria de Buenos-Aires. Maxim has worked together with a Kiev Centre of Contemporary Arts DAKH. In 2010 he founded a pro-theatre association The Drystone that was busy with theatre moves and art performances. In 2011 together with Alisa Oleynik he created the Russian School of Physical Theatre.
Maxim Didenko works as a guest artist in different theatres around the country. Amongst his performances there are: Olesya. The Love Story, 2010(in collaboration with Nikolay Dreyden, at Priut Komedianta Theatre (literally translated as Comedian’s Refuge); Lenka Panteleev. Musical, 2012 (in collaboration with Nikolay Dreyden, at Theatre for Young Audiences named after A. Briantsev); The Second Vision, 2013 (in collaboration with Yuriy Kviatkovskiy, at Moscow Arts Theatre School, Moscow); The Passenger (together with Vladimir Varnava); The Overcoat. A Ballet (2013); The Backbone Flute (2014, at Lensovet Theatre, St.Petersburg); The Little Tragedies (2014, at Theatre Studia of L.Ermolaeva, Omsk); Red Cavalry (2014, Moscow Arts Theatre School, Moscow); Kharms. Mur. (2015, at Gogol Centre, Moscow); The Earth (at the New Stage of Alexandrinsky theatre).
Maxim Didenko has received multiple awards and nominations. Lenka Panteleev. Musical was nominated for The Golden Mask Award; his ballet The Passenger was nominated in 3 different nominations. Maxim is the winner of the Best Director at Proruv-2014 (lit. breakthrough award).