Company News
SUMMER NEWS!
As we take our summer break we'd like to thank all those who have supported the "Crazy Joanna" project so far. With the team and crew having deserved time out, creative catch ups and some summer sun its time to relax? As if! It's not really SD style.... so as the sun shines (or the rain pours if you live in England), the behind the scenes team keep going in preparation for the Autumn where we will be back in the studio with R&D and opportunities to get involved.
SO... WHATS HAPPENING?
1 "Crazy Joanna" Update and Reviews
2 Crazy Joanna in VIRGIN MEDIA SHORTS competition -
3 "CO-LAB"
4 We welcome a new Intern - Lauren Pissochet
5 Celebrating SEVEN's 3rd Anniversary
6 The Translation Continues
7 Twitter and Facebook
8 Become a friend of Slanjayvah Danza
1 "Crazy Joanna" Update and Reviews
Jenni Wren's latest choreographic offering "Crazy Joanna" has had a successful and well received first run of performances in Yorkshire and London (hosted by Cloud Dance Festival).
As the team find time to relax and recharge with some summer holidays and creative catch ups, we bring you the latest reviews from our London performance at the Cochrane Theatre. As part of Cloud Dance Festival we showed a taster of the piece, with a view to take the full work to London in spring 2011.
Reviews - Crazy Joanna - Cloud Dance Festival Hush
Cochrane Theatre - London - 16/17 July 2010
"An excerpt from Slanjayvah Danza's new work, Crazy Joanna topped the bill. Again drawing inspiration from tango but mining dark passions, the piece looks at domestic abuse, tapping into different periods of history. Beautiful, compelling, awful - bring on the full length piece." Lindsey Clarke editor Londonist
"Slanjayvah Danza's eagerly anticipated return to Cloud Dance Festival did not disappoint. A polished performance of an extract of their new work Crazy Joanna told a restless story of sex and violence on the streets of Buenos Aires through intimate tango and a series of flawless lifts and contact work. Recently praised for highlighting domestic violence in the UK, this beautifully troubled work leaves behind a poignant message in the haunting image of Amir Giles dancing with Dani Ferreira's lifeless body." Jenny Teale
"Slanjayvah Danza's Crazy Joanna is an excerpt of a longer work, dealing with domestic abuse and the painful escape from such situations. The full length piece has film projection integrated into the choreography, but this was cut due to time constraints of fitting into a festival. The overall sentiments were not lost, however, and the feelings of guilt that manifest into uncontrolled violence are magnificently portrayed by Amir Giles. The piece is dark, disturbing, yet breathtakingly beautiful in the tender moments." Debbie Shine
Photography: Brian Slater
"To conclude we are treated to Slanjayvah Danza's Crazy Joanna, a work that approaches the subject of domestic abuse with great empathy. The piece begins with the two dancers gripped in a performance of Argentinean tango, accompanied by the appropriate music, revealing the darker side to love and passion. The piece explores the pain of infidelity as a second female diverts the male dancers' attention briefly in the performance. A combination of beauty and tragedy, all the while a celebration of the survivors of domestic abuse, choreographer Jenni Wren and her collaborative dancers must be credited for their sensitive approach to this prevalent issue; a must see performance." Suzanne Allen
"Slanjayvah Danza, an old hand at Cloud Dance Festival, performed an except from Crazy Joanna, a disturbing exploration of the darker side of passion. Set in the brothels of Buenos Aires, choreographer Jenni Wren developed a Tango/Contemporary hybrid which is so often attempted but rarely pulled off with such finesse. The tango steps expanded into space as Joanna lost control of her lover and thus her senses. At times the music played out as traditional tango, keeping the passion at a high, but it was the quintessential English ballroom tango music that desexualised the the couple's movements, coinciding with the object of Joanna's desire losing interest. This taster of Crazy Joanna left me wanting to view the work in its entirety - let's hope this opportunity arises soon." Libby Costello - London Dance.com
"Slanjayvah Danza finish up with Crazy Joanna, a specially adapted dance-only version from their original dance and film integrated work. The traditional Tango and Flamenco beginning gives way to some brutal contemporary moves, playing out the hard-hitting story of domestic violence. The way the dancers throw each other around the beautifully soft, red, sunset-lit stage creates an intentionally unsettling scene." James Cork - People with voices
2 Crazy Joanna in VIRGIN MEDIA SHORTS competition - YOU can help us take dance and the moving image to the BIG screens!
A short film taken from the Buenos Aires scene of Crazy Joanna (which is a full length dance and film integrated work) has been skillfully re-edited by Aurora Fearnley (Little Northern Light) for entry into this year's Virgin Shorts Film Competition. Judging is currently taking place and Slanjayvah is hopeful that Crazy Joanna will be chosen as one of 12 ‘shorts' to be shown on 240 cinema screens nationwide.
We are now reliant on the public. Please take a little time to view the short (2.20 mins), register as a critic and leave a comment.
http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/films/entry/347087/crazy-joanna-3
Thank you for your support and please pass the link onto your friends and colleagues!
3 Professional Development with Slanjayvah Danza - "CO-LAB" applications open
31 August - 4 September 2010
Slanjayvah Danza's Summer CO-LAB 2010 is round the corner, offering a range of exciting Professional Development opportunities. Led by Artistic Director and Choreographer Jenni Wren, this years Co-Lab is a 5 day working experience with a professional dance company and other collaborating artists including musicians and photographers.
During the week dancers will engage in daily technique classes and undertake a week of movement research where Jenni Wren will be exploring ideas and themes of a new work. There are opportunities to spend a second week with the company, at the discretion of the Artistic Director.
Places are open to all Contemporary Dancers, recent graduates and 3rd year students.
Participant numbers are strictly limited.
CO-LAB will consider dancers for future works making it an opportunity to establish a relationship with the company in its home base, SEVEN Artspace in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.
Please visit our website www.slanjayvahdanza.com to familiarise yourself with the company work, prior to application. Video links can be viewed here http://www.slanjayvahdanza.com/en/productions/video-snippets
To apply: Please forward a CV and a short covering letter/expression of interest in the project to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Deadline for applications: 5pm, 13th August 2010. Those selected will be notified by email in the following week.
4 Welcome to our new Intern - Lauren Pissochet
Lauren joined Slanjayvah Danza as our new dance photography/film Intern in July 2010. Quickly she was set to work to produce a photographic exhibition for the SEVEN Birthday Celebrations with the theme of "The SEVEN deadly SINS". Already making an impression with her work, Lauren will be with us through the summer, joining Co-Lab and beyond. See some of Lauren's work ... http://laurenpissochet.tumblr.com
5 Celebrating SEVEN's 3rd Anniversary
Our home venue, "SEVEN" celebrated in style yet again with the event organised by Slanjayvah Danza and Indivisable. The joint effort saw the venue bursting at the seams with performance artists and acts, exhibitions, live music, drink, partying and DANCING! Happy Birthday SEVEN, may the next year be fruitful!
6 The Translation Continues
At last we have started uploading the translation of our website into Spanish for all our followers in Spain, OLE! Fingers crossed we will be performing there in the Autumn time. Meanwhile, click on the wee spanish flag top left of the website for a glimpse and a spanish lesson if you like!
7 Twitter and Facebook
We are now following over 900 Twitters, are you one of them? We are being followed too by more and more each day, currently 790 of you....are you following us? Get onto Twitter, the Tweeting is great, we've made many new friends since joining. http://twitter.com/slanjayvah
You can also see us on Facebook and become our friend, http://www.facebook.com/slanjayvah
8 Would you like to become a friend of Slanjayvah Danza? 
We offer a friends package that includes opportunities from advance tickets, invites to rehearsals and the creative process, sneak previews of performances, regular newsletters and more!. For more information please contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
