This autumn acclaimed choreographer and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Jasmin Vardimon returns with her company to the Jerwood DanceHouse Ipswich for two performances of their highly praised work Park on Friday 17 & Saturday 18 October.
Recipient of the International Theatre Institute Award for Excellence in Dance and newly appointed honorary doctorate at Royal Holloway University, the Israeli born artistic director of Jasmin Vardimon Company, brings this visceral, kaleidoscopic and athletic slice of modern urban life back to the stage in a reworked and re-imagined production ten years after its acclaimed premiere to sell out audiences. With newly introduced 3D imaging, Park presents a collision of physical theatre, text, athletic dance and funky music, delivering fresh statements about our time.
Park is an urban oasis, a place of refuge from the ordinary where eight characters play, fight, fall in love and learn to survive. In this playground of relationships, young lovers wrestle in a historic fountain, a graffiti artist sprays his story, a busker finds his only appreciative audience in a bag lady and a flag-waving bully rants worn out political beliefs. Their stories intertwine creating a modern day fairytale that is alternately sharp, funny and cruel.
Vardimon says “We are delighted to present this updated and reworked production of Park. Surprisingly I find the themes explored and social comments even more relevant now than they were 10 years ago. Bullying, otherness, alienation, gender and homelessness are all explored in this island of urban lives. It is exciting to revisit these concepts with the perspective of time and with a fresh and multi-talented cast and we are happy to bring the work back to our repertoire following high demand for its return.”
A leading force in British dance theatre for nearly twenty years, Vardimon has built a reputation of challenging, exciting and visually stunning dance and continues to add to the body of critically acclaimed, artistically respected yet accessible work both for the company she formed in 1997 and for some of the leading dance companies across the world. Born and raised in Israel, she has been an Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells since 2006, Vardimon has also been recognised with the positions of Associate Artist at The Place in 1998 and at Yorkshire Dance as a Partner from 1999 – 2005.
Enjoying sell-out performances across the UK and internationally, Jasmin Vardimon Company’s works include:FREEDOM (‘Breathtaking, mesmerizing and frequently thought provoking’ – South Wales Echo), 7734 (‘Theatrical gold. Piercingly powerful’ – Daily Telegraph) Yesterday (‘Beautiful. A deft theatrical touch’ – The Observer), Justitia (‘Terrific – stylishly designed, vividly played’ -The Guardian), Park (‘Extraordinary… sexy and beautiful’– New Statesman), Lullaby(‘Dangerous and beautiful impassioned and remarkable’ – Daily Mail).
Vardimon has also been commissioned to choreograph for the Royal Opera House (Tannhäuser, 2010) and for ROH2′s OperaShots season with composer Graham Fitkin at the Linbury Studio (Home, 2012). Other commissions include Bitef Theatre Belgrade, Hellenic Dance Athens, CandoCo, WID, Bare Bones, Transitions and curating the Dance Ballads Festival at the Oval House.
Last seen the DanceHouse in May 2013 with the hugely successful run of FREEDOM, these autumn performances of Park mark the fourth time the company has returned to Ipswich to present work for DanceEast.
