Productions Past Productions
Past Productions and Commissions
2009 "Co-Lab" - Jenni Wren led the Summer Co-Lab in August at SEVEN Arts Centre
with Dancers from Leeds. This is both a training and creative opportunity as
the dancers learn rep and research new ideas with the Artistic Director.
Edited footage will soon be available on our video-snippets page.
2009 "Blind Passion" - Live Cut Premier and Summer Tour.
See Current productions for more details.
2008 "The SangerWren Chronicles" - Black and White Comi-dance short film.
We introduce our comical characters Emelda and Clay in the
SangerWren Chronicles #1. The first of 7 short Silent Comi-Dance Movies.
Familiarise yourself with the antics of Emelda and Clay and guess what their
next venture will entail. Keep watching for Chronicle #2!
2008 "Blind Passion Raw Cut" - Dance for Camera (contains nudity).
Based on concepts currently being explored for a live stage production.
Edited by Aurora Fearnley, Little Northern Light.
2008 "Nocturnal Champagne" (in collaboration with Jess Blackbond and Jen Thornton).
Zombie Contemporary Dancers perform a new spin on Pole Dancing that's not
for the weak hearted.
2008 Various Dance Commissions for "SPACEBALL" - Site Specific to Venue.
2008 "The SangerWren Chronicles #1". The first in a series of Comi-dance shorts.
Concept and performance by Jenni Wren and Phil Sanger.
Produced by Slanjayvah Danza in collaboration with Little Northern Light Productions.
2008 Big Dance Commission (ACE and Yorkshire Dance)
2008 "Hybrid" In 2006/7, the Arts Council England decided to launch an enquiry into
the public's view of art in today's society. What makes something art? What makes
someone an artist? There are always stigmas attached to each art form and in
particular towards contemporary dance with the desire to, "understand whats going
on in a choreography".
With a personal interest, Jenni began to do her own research, speaking freely with
members of the public to find out what they really thought or knew, if anything, about
contemporary dance or the mixing of art forms.
Slanjayvah Danza's performers, mingled, debated (and laughed a lot) with members of
the public, during research, in order to understand and portray opinions on the
subject of art.
Jenni Wren and her performers bring together the public's view, mixed with the
artist's view, sprinkled with a few dry and sarcastic moments while encompassing
sensitive issues.
2007 "Minor Tears" R&D based on concepts currently being explored into
dancers with injuries.
2007 "Uno Momento" One minute wonder for RODA.
2007 "Accelerator 3" - Choreographic Commission - Urban Angel.
Multi-media Youth Theatre project.
2006 "The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing Like The Truth"
"The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing Like The Truth", delved into a misconstrued human behaviour with a comically characterised compulsive liar, living between two worlds of fact and fantasy. The audience were given an "honest" report of her experiences and were drawn into a scenario where "the truth" becomes confusing.
The dancers were given a movement concept by Jenni Wren, based on her interest and knowledge of proximal, distal and spacial techniques. She transformed this concept into movement sequences that would build, like a lie does and which would demonstrate how a compulsive liar layers information to maintain the interest of her audience.
"The way that people perceive life, and the things that they do to cope with their feelings, have been developing from an early age. Compulsive lying is a learned behaviour, a coping strategy that has made real life seem easier to face. Avoidance of truth and reality can seem to give a person an alternative universe to the one they want to escape from."
2006 "Accelerator" - Choreographic Commission - Urban Angels - Youth theatre, based on a young man who is failed by the social services.
2006 "Just Joshin Around" Based on the theme of "fun", "Just Joshin' Around" was a youth-collaboration between music and dance. The piece revolved around a young musician and a young dancer, revealing the talent that can be found in young people who have not been trained through higher education, but who have a natural desire to express themselves through their chosen art form.
After a week of intense improvisation and devising with the professional team of Slanjayvah Danza, the performance embraced a fusion of dance styles. This included Contemporary Dance Theatre, Krumping and Par Caur, accompanied by acoustic guitar and various drums. The work offered an insight into the way the arts can be brought together to compliment or juxtapose one another. JJA was captured and made into a short promotional film to highlight the talents within our younger generation.
The artistic team of Slanjayvah Danza bridged the gap between youth and the arts, encouraged expression through dance and music, and showed how the collaboration between the arts is enjoyable, accessible, and essential. They demonstrated that it is not only trained individuals that can perform to a high standard, but also those that are given the opportunity to try it for themselves.
2006 Choreographic Commission (Dance for Camera) "The Night Dancer"
Dance for Film - Site Specific
All The Cherry Productions (Thom Lyne)
2005 Choreographic Commission (Dance for Camera) - "52 Cards" (Steve Reid)
Little Northern Light Productions
2005 MEST (Matter, Energy, Space, Time)
The programme consists of two choreographies based on emotional intelligence. Artistic Director Jenni Wren worked closely with People Tech Consultants on research of this nature, which has led to the devising of this particular dance theatre programme. The two choreographies therefore are linked, however different they may appear, working on the basis of life survival skills.
Get OFF Me!
This choreography looked into and dissected the philosophy which introduces and discusses "Mental Matter", body language, human behaviour and reaction when under suppression, demonstrating mostly the physical effects mental matter creates. Life's troubles are given a physical presence.
Mental matter - "It is in the mind (which is not the brain and is separate from the brain) and it is contained in the form of mental image pictures.
These Mental Image Pictures are copies of the physical universe and they contain mass. The pictures and the mass contained in them are not as heavy as the original item viewed or perceived but they still contain matter and energy which is measurable and quantifiable." - Val Easson-Milne, People Tech Consultants.
People who are troubled demonstrate this "mass" through body language, knowingly or unknowingly. For example, it can be physically noticeable when someone has "the weight of the world on their shoulders". Most likely that person can feel the weight but does not necessarily understand what is creating it.
You hear people who have off-loaded their troubles and "unburdened themselves" saying things like -
a.. That's a weight off my shoulders
b.. That's a weight off my chest
This philosophy has been used to explore movement patterns, of a physical and mental nature, with the integration of comical and humorous theatrical aspects. It incorporated the ideas, systems available, and theories of "offloading" and the various ways people attempt to get rid of their troubles. The choreography explored the use of verbalisation, the facing of life difficulties, realisation and cognitive processes. It has developed into an informative, communicative, serious yet light-hearted choreographed piece, which symbolises the workability of this philosophy and to which the audience can relate to.
"¿Entiendes?" (Revised) - see description below
2004 "¿Y ETTO QUE LO QUE E?" The "Y etto e que lo que e?" tour included:
"Entiendes?", "Six feet, 3 shoes", Stop Eating Yourself!", and "It's Happening Again!".
"Stop Eating Yourself" (in collaboration with Luisa Galan and Raquel Humera)
Based on high expectations of self, self-pressure and doubts of worth, the work looks at various reactions people demonstrate whilst experiencing these types of emotions, for example, anorexia and other forms of self-harm, introversion due to pressure from external influencing factors and constant comparisons of individuals through magazines and media. Deliberately demonstrated abstractly, this piece has a short mid section that allows the audience to view what is often hidden very well by those living it.
"¿Entiendes?"
Inspired by various concepts, this choreographic idea is fundamentally looking at philosophies primarily developed by Jeung, Socrates and Plato (philosophers), which have been brought together to develop a philosophy on "understanding". The philosophy, choreographic research and intention of the piece looks at the various concepts required to achieve understanding between 2 or more people.
The choreography aims to demonstrate this in a formal structure that the science itself presents, and further use a simple narrative to show an example of how it works, or doesn't, when the formula required is not practised. The piece focuses strongly on communication, communication barriers, language, and misunderstandings, and incorporates the elements of affinity and reality demonstrating how these 3 elements (affinity, reality and communication) work together to gain understanding.
The piece introduces sign language as a medium of communication through movement. "I think it will be interesting to "turn the tables" in what is very much a hearing world in terms of language and understanding. Also, to aid integration of the deaf society into the arts further and observe how the non-hearing and the hearing audience react to the signing, which explains the philosophy throughout the work." - Jenni Wren.
"Entiendes?" works with a variety of art forms such as dance, theatre, music and poetry, devised specifically to enhance the intention, as well as the Spanish language.
"Its Happening again"
A short interpretation based on the American TV Series "Twin Peaks" by David Lynch. Focusing on the personal life of Laura Palmer and the dark complications within her life.... "She's full of secrets".
2003 "Six Feet, 3 Shoes" (in collaboration with Luisa Galan and Susana Aguilar.)
Soaking up the atmosphere and passion of the south of Spain, this choreography posed a fusion of Contemporary Dance and traditional Flamenco styles inspired by Jenni Wren's visits to the home city of Susana and Luisa, in Cordoba, Andalucía. Having lived together for a year, the work was inevitably going to happen with comparisons and similarities of the Spanish and Scottish cultures, flamenco and contemporary dance. The journey of this trio became a dance, which acknowledged the constant sharing and mixing of cultures and ideas that formed our friendships.
