JEAN ABREU DANCE COMPANY

Contemporary dance, Live music, Performance

SIZE OF COMPANY
4–10 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Small- to middle-scale

PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director
Jean Abreu

Project Manager
Renata Polacow

ARTISTIC POLICY
Brazilian-born dancer/choreographer Jean Abreu has established a unique and exciting movement vocabulary by embracing both Western contemporary movement styles with Latin dance, music and cultural traditions. Drawing inspirations from his artistic home, London, as well as Brazil’s diverse cultural heritage, Abreu presents highly charged performances infused with strong storytelling and emotion.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘Abreu has an easy flow of movement, giving a velvety softness to his most jagged poses.’ The Independent

‘Highly physical yet mysteriously introspective, melding contemporary and Latin American dance forms… full of feline stealth and curiosity. Muscular but fluid, Abreu possesses the ease of an animal inside its own skin.’ The Times

‘Every move seems turbocharged, from the fast, wheeling kicks drawn from Brazilian martial arts, to the delicate, silken interludes where you can see the energy ripple around every tiny muscle group.’ The Guardian

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Aequus & Dialogo (Double Bill) The first part of this double bill, Aequus, explores humanity and its relationships to nature and its cycles. Five dancers and two musicians navigate their way in a constantly changing piece reflecting a world where the concept of cause and effect is a reality. The second part, Dialogo, is a duet in which dancer and musician investigate the intimate relationship between sound and movement in an attempt to expose the unseen, intuitive link between the two art forms. (80 mins with interval, 10 on the road.)

Raizes A captivating journey into the heart of Brazilian culture, this programme explores the history and rituals of Brazilian dance, music and poetry in a contemporary perspective. (70 mins, no interval, 8 on the road.)

O lungo drom/Urge/Fijis (Triple Bill) Intense and introspective evening of short works by Jean Abreu exploring themes of migration, violence and modern sexuality. (75 mins with interval.)

FUTURE PRODUCTION
New Work (title tbc) Jean Abreu, Sound Affairs and the Mavron String Quartet will join together to create a brand new touring production. This cross-border collaboration will work to create a high-quality performance of live music and dance that will tour in spring 2009.

WRAP-AROUND
Post-performance discussions, workshops and master classes are available on request.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2008 Croatia (AEQUUS) / Ukraine (Dialogo)
2006 Cyprus (Triple Bill)
2005 Germany (Triple Bill)
2004 Italy (Triple Bill)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
From spring 2008