Author: Courtney.Roger

Jasmin Vardimon’s new ‘Alice in VR Wonderland’ experience launches this weekend in partnership with The Arts Council England and McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford.

Alice is Jasmin Vardimon Company’s first immersive Virtual Reality experience, based on Lewis Carroll’s famous story ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The experience is a re-imagined take on the famous tale, presented through the filter of Jasmin Vardimon’s unique creative process. In this new performance, the audience will follow the supremely talented dancers of Jasmin Vardimon Company to encounter the story of Alice as they’ve never experienced before. Audiences will feel up close and personal with the performers in a magical, multi-sensory adventure and be completely immersed in a stunning VR Wonderland.

Alice premieres at Boing Festival, University of Kent, Canterbury on Saturday 28^th August for a sold-out two-day residency. The audience will be invited two at a time into a specially designed pop-up venue for the 15 minute experience. Comfortably seated and using a virtual reality headset, the audience will be immersed in a spectacular 360-degree Wonderland, following Alice on her adventures and meeting the famously weird and wonderful characters along the way.

This innovative new project has been made possible with the support of Arts Council England, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford, The Gulbenkian Theatre, Kent County Council and Dance East.

Jasmin Vardimon’s critically acclaimed production of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale ‘Pinocchio’ returns to the stage this autumn. ‘Pinocchio’ has toured extensively nationally and internationally over the past 5 years, until Covid restrictions in 2020 prevented further live performances. ‘Pinocchio’ will return in October 2021 to Exeter Northcott Theatre and Sadler’s Wells, before a weeklong run at Dance East, Ipswich in December.

Tour Dates:
Exeter Northcott Theatre: 12 – 13th October 2021
Sadler’s Wells: 29 – 30th October 2021
Dance East, Ipswich: 8th – 16th December 2021

Read the full press release here: Press Release – Jasmin Vardimon Company – Back on tour.

Step out of the ordinary and into the unexpected, fantastical and fearless world of Jasmin Vardimon’s brand new VR experience: ‘Alice’. A magical, multi-sensory immersive adventure, premiering @boingfestival in Canterbury, Kent on 28th & 29th August 2021.

Tickets will be on sale closer to the festival, watch out for further updates!

We are thrilled to announce that we will be welcoming long term company dancer Luke Burrough back to the organisation later this year.

Luke first met Jasmin in London in 1996. It was to be the beginning of a collaboration that spanned almost two decades; creating, touring and teaching. Having spent the last six years working in primary education, Luke rejoins the company as Assistant to the Artistic Director from September 2021. He feels privileged to be rejoining the company at another milestone moment in its journey and says “It feels like a real homecoming”. We are looking forward to working with him again.

This month, one of Kent’s largest cultural infrastructure projects achieved a major milestone in the development process. Jasmin Vardimon Company’s new and much anticipated creative hub takes shape, promising a state-of-the-art facility for the internationally renowned dance company to expand its activities locally, nationally and on the global stage.

On 3rd June, Councillors from Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council joined representatives from Arts Council England, the construction partners WW Martin, Jasmin Vardimon and her team to mark the topping out of the new building in Javelin Way, Ashford.

For more details CLICK HERE

Following the sold-out run of Jasmin Vardimon’s new immersive performance Canvas in Ashford, we are pleased to announce a specially filmed performance will be streamed for free on Vimeo over the May bank holiday weekend.

This link will go live on Friday 28th May at 11am until midnight Sunday 30th May.

The streaming forms part of a triple bill of work featuring the 14 talented dancers of JV2 over three consecutive weekends. Each year two choreographers are commissioned to create a new work for JV2. Accompanying Canvas by Jasmin Vardimon, this year’s bill features May You Listen? by Sabrina Gargano (Jasmin Vardimon Company dancer and co-director of Elelei Dance Theatre) and Eterna by Anthony Matsena (co-Artistic Director Matsena Productions and former Sadler’s Wells Young Associate)

We are delighted to present Jasmin’s thrilling new JV2 immersive performance, Canvas at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford from 18^th – 23^rd May 2021. Canvas will take place within two repurposed retail units, which have been transformed into a stunning theatrical set, providing a magical backdrop for the 14 talented dancers of JV2. Bold and dramatic, with striking set design, guests will be invited into a multi-sensory world.

One by one, the audience will be guided through a mysterious, captivating and inspiring performance culminating in a spectacular centre-stage finale. The show will offer an intimate and intriguing experience, fostering a sense of human connection at a time when contact between people has been so severely restricted.

Performances will be around 20 minutes long and will be free of charge, with voluntary donations collected in aid of two nominated charities: Friends of William Harvey Hospital and McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford’s 2021 charity partner, RNLI. Donations will be accepted at the performance via contactless card payments on the door.

Advance booking is required, please visit: http://jasminvardimon.eventbrite.com

We are delighted to welcome Anthony Matsena back as guest choreographer for JV2. Anthony will work begin work in a couple of weeks with our talented group of young international dancers.

“I’m really thrilled to work with JV2 again this year. We had such a wonderful and powerful few weeks with last years cohort and I can’t wait to share what we discovered and go further with the work with these new bright minds and artists. Working digitally will have its challenges but also advantages. It’s a joy to be back and creating in such difficult times. The people may change but the spirit of the work lives on. Eterna.” Anthony Matsena.

Anthony is a Zimbabwean born and Welsh raised choreographer, performer and director. His work is often politically charged and he has built a love and curiosity for telling stories that express themes of culture, race, change and belonging. In 2018, Anthony became a Sadler’s Wells Young Associate and it was during this time that he was introduced to Jasmin by Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive Alistair Spalding. Anthony worked with JV2 2019/20 and we are delighted to announce his return to develop his piece ‘Eterna’ with JV2 2020/21.

We were delighted to visit Richmond School and Sixth Form last week with a new online workshop, lead by company dancer Andre Rebelo. As schools adapt to these new ways of working and we continue to work hard to continue providing learning opportunities, it was great to have such fantastic feedback.

Read more for more details

We are delighted to announce that we have received crucial funding from Arts Council England’s Cultural Recovery Fund to enable us to continue our vital education activities. Huge thanks to ACE and DCMS for their support during these challenging times.

Click here for full statement