Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE was interviewed by JD Douglas for JDTV about her latest show Patois, which was performed at the National Theatre River Stage on London's South Bank as part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2024.
As well as the London show, Patois toured to several locations during the festival with performances in Greenwich, Woolwich, Abbey Wood, and Stratford.
Jeanefer spoke to the channel about the inspiration behind the show.
This year's annual celebration of free outdoor dance on 7 September showcases a host of amazing outdoor spaces across Stratford.
With stunning staging and a huge variety of dance styles, this year’s Dancing City showcases some exceptional homegrown and international talent.
Don't miss out on Patois at East Bank waterfront...
'a new show that takes a Caribbean dialect and explores hidden voices and stories from generations past. Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE created the dance theatre work to celebrate her St Lucian heritage – coinciding with St Lucia’s first Olympic gold medal!' - Neandra Etienne, Newham Voices
Photo: Claire Leach
*Photo credit: Claire Leach
Fred Waine from Unhinged Music joined Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE for her performance of Patois at Brighton Festival in May 2024.
He wrote:
"Along with a sizeable audience seated on the floor and benches on Brighton’s pedestrian boardwalk, opposite the Victorian-era Metropole Hotel, I find myself before a low stage, adorned only with a pair of flags and several stacks of tartan suitcases, all coloured in vivid blue, yellow and black. The sense of removal to an exotic destination is therefore present even before the five-strong dance troupe emerge through the crowd, announcing that ‘we’re off to Saint Lucia’, the eastern Caribbean island whose national colours are represented onstage. The dancers’ cheery, childlike tone, exaggerated movement and breaking of the fourth wall contrast the serious, academic tenor that the piece’s title and description might have suggested (and delight the numerous families in the audience).
Read the full review here.
*Photo credit: Claire Leach
On Saturday 13 July, two of Jeanefer's shows will appear in an exciting outdoor double bill at London's South Bank. First off is Black Victorians from 2.15pm - 2.45pm followed by Jeanefer's new show Patois, from 5.45pm - 6.15pm.
It’s on at the National Theatre’s River Stage as part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2024.
"Jeanefer's Black Victorians delves into the hidden history of black people in Victorian England, earning widespread acclaim for its compelling portrayal of this overlooked narrative. With Patois, Jeanefer Jean-Charles promises another immersive experience that challenges audiences to reflect on the significance of linguistic diversity in our world today" - Ralph Kennedy, Without Walls
For more information, visit River Stage 2024.
Location
National Theatre
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
Black Victorians is back for its 4th year of touring thanks to the support of producer FESTIVAL.ORG.
Inspired by nineteenth-century studio photographs of black men, women and children, Black Victorians explores a complex and often forgotten Black presence in pre-Windrush Britain.
★★★★ THE STAGE
SUN 2 JUN, 1.30PM - Taliesin Dance Days Festival (Swansea)
SAT 13 JUL, 2.15PM - National Theatre River Stage part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (London)
FRI 26 JUL - Latitude Festival (Suffolk) - Time to be confirmed
To find out more, visit the Black Victorians show page.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE (Eurovision 2023, London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant) has been appointed Visiting Professor at Middlesex University in the faculty of arts and creative industries.
To kick-start her relationship with Middlesex University, Jeanefer rehearsed her new show Patois at the University’s studios with support from Middlesex University's Senior Lecturer in Dance and Professional Practice, Dr Helen Kindred.
Patois - which celebrates St. Lucian Patois - a language Jeanefer grew up with, understands, but rarely speaks, has already delighted audiences in their hundreds at Norfolk & Norwich Festival where the show premiered, and at the Brighton Festival last month (May 2024).
Blending captivating traditional Caribbean choreography with exhilarating contemporary dance and an original music score with a Caribbean flavour, Patois reawakens cultures, stories and generations of the past.
To find out more, visit the Patois show page.
As a globally respected Creative Director and Producer with a passion for nurturing and developing creative talent, Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE has trained and mentored teachers, artists and producers for over 20 years.
Find out more about Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE
Black Victorians by Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is inspired by nineteenth century studio photographs of black men, women and children.
Exploring a complex, but often forgotten black presence in pre-Windrush Britain, this performance calls attention to previously hidden figures and challenges historical and contemporary perceptions.
Picture dancers dressed in restrictive Victorian costumes, shedding them in rebellion as they dance in African, contemporary and hip-hop styles re-imagining a moment in history.
This is an opportunity to experience history as told through choreography.
Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is a globally respected creative artist. Since starting her journey as Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Bullies Ballerinas Jazz Dance Company, her work has taken her to over 21 countries and has gone down in the Guinness Book of Records. Her unique creative process aims to bring to life the talents, strengths and shared stories of local communities and artists in inspiring and unforgettable ways.
Black Victorians is back for its 3rd year of touring this summer thanks to the support of FESTIVAL.ORG. And this year, as well as some UK dates, we have some International dates in Aveiro (Portugal) and Antwerp (Belgium).
We are thrilled to be extending the cast of Black Victorians in Summer 2023 with new dancers Rudzani Moleya and Stefano Addea who will join the original cast on some of the Tour Dates.
2023 TOUR DATES
FRI 14 JUL - SUN 16 JUL - Festival Dos Canais (Portugal)
THURS 27 JUL - SUN 30 JUL – Gratis Festival (Antwerp)
SAT 12 AUG – Kensington + Chelsea Festival (Kensington, London)
FRI 29 SEPT – SUN 1 OCT – Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival Bournemouth, Dorset) - More info to come, please check the website.
Watch This Space For More Dates Coming Soon.
The People's Flag, a brand new, mass participation film, led by Mass Movement Director Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE and local choreographers Lisi Perry and Grace Goulding presents an unforgettable moment in Liverpool’s history with over 1,000 people from local communities coming together to create a unique, warm welcome to all Eurovision-comers in the centre of Liverpool.
For more information visit the EuroFestival website.
If so, we’d love you to join us for this large scale community project, a mass movement film to welcome the world to Liverpool in the run up to Eurovision.
This powerful spectacle will be led by Mass Movement Director Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE with local choreographers Lisi Perry and Grace Goulding. It will be filmed by Northern Town production company.
This opportunity is open to individuals aged 18+
No experience necessary.
Come and get involved!
Applications are now CLOSED.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO APPLIED TO BE PART OF OUR FILM TO WELCOME THE WORLD TO LIVERPOOL IN THE RUN UP TO EUROVISION.
Absolutely not! You just need enthusiasm, community spirit and be available for the rehearsals & filming!
The film will be shown on Culture Liverpool’s digital platforms as part of the Eurovision welcome. Given the scale of the project, it also has the potential to engage national press and/or Eurovision coverage.
No, this is a voluntary project bringing the community together for a very special celebration.
Unfortunately not. Our age range is 11+ to ensure that everyone taking part can meet the demands of the filming day and the logistical requirements of mass movement.
Those aged 11-17 must participate with a Community Group and have appropriate permissions and chaperones.
This is a mass movement film. This involves specific camera equipment and filming logistics such as drones and a cordoned off performance space. There won’t be a live audience for the filming day, but as soon as the film is released you can share it anywhere you like!
Mass movement is a large group of people coming together as an ensemble to move and create imagery. It’s most often seen at opening ceremonies like the Olympics or the Jubilee celebrations.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE was among a cast of contributors appearing in an ITV documentary.
Our Jubilee, an alternative social history of Britain told through the personal stories of Black Britons in the Queen’s Jubilee years was first broadcast on ITV on 16 Oct 2022.
Jeanefer’s involvement in the documentary came about after filmmaker Jason Osborne (recipient of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund and co-founder of Project Must Entertainment), heard about Jeanefer’s work on The Thank You Dance in this year’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Our Jubilee is told through the prism of the Queen's Jubilee years and how the experience of being Black and British changed over the 70 years of her reign. The documentary was filmed in 2022 before the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Our Jubilee is available to watch on the ITV Hub.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is bringing her show Black Victorians to Derby Festé on Saturday, 24 September as part of a national tour.
The dance performances at 12.45pm and 3.30pm will form part of day 2 of Derby Festé, which will feature music, dance, performance and large-scale installation.
Exploring a complex, but often forgotten black presence in pre-Windrush Britain, this performance calls attention to previously hidden figures and challenges historical and contemporary perceptions.
Black Victorians is inspired by nineteenth century studio photographs of black men, women and children.
The Guardian,
Sanjoy Roy
To download a PDF copy of the programme please CLICK HERE
Click here to view this years line up.
#Festé22
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE from Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates is working as Creative Consultant with Liverpool Choreographer Grace Goulding on a mass movement dance piece celebrating Knowsley’s rich sporting heritage.
The piece will form part of the grand finale of a week-long Sporting Legends Relay, which will feature walking, cycling, horse riding, running, and toddling, celebrating both sporting legends and grass-roots sports heroes from the borough.
The final dance piece will take place outdoors at Liverpool Football Club, and will tell the borough’s stories through movement, fusing sports and arts, and bringing together local dance schools, sports people, and sporting audiences in a celebration of Knowsley.
For more information, visit the Knowsley Borough of Culture 2022 website.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles has been awarded an MBE in this year’s Queens Birthday Honours List.
Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles from Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates is among well-known faces from the arts recognised in the Platinum Jubilee Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Jeanefer, with over 20 years’ experience devising, creating, facilitating, and directing dance and movement for performance, receives an MBE for services to dance.
For over 20 years Jeanefer has designed and delivered artistic solutions for some of the world’s most iconic events including a section for the Queens Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace, all four of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, The F.A. Cup Final 2016 Opening Ceremony at Wembley, and the first-ever Big Dance – which broke a world record.
HM The Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List 2022 marks the public service of individuals across the UK in celebration of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates,
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and arts organisation Kinetika were commissioned to create a section for the Queens Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which was part of an extended Bank Holiday Weekend, took place on Sunday 5th June 2022.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and Kinetika presented The Thank You Dance in the Pageant - a visually arresting spectacle made up of over 200 performers drawn from across generations covered in hand-painted silks and holding vibrant flags designed and made by community groups.
Inspiration was taken from Her Majesty to thank key workers and the essential role they have played throughout the pandemic, volunteers who have stepped up with kindness to look after their neighbours and young people who are actively taking responsibility for the future of our planet.
The Thank You Dance as part of The Pageant wound through the streets of Westminster and along The Mall past Buckingham Palace telling the story of these incredible people who have transformed lives through their kindness.
Photo credit: Matt Crossick/PA Wire
Don't miss this ground-breaking celebration of Coventry, Haus of Kraft: Beneath The Seams, directed by world-renowned Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles from Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and designed by Designer Marsha Roddy.
WHEN: TUE 26 APR 2022 @ 19.30
WHERE: QUEEN OF FLANDERS, ASSEMBLY FESTIVAL GARDEN, LITTLE PARK STREET, COVENTRY, CV1 2UR
Fusing arts, movement, music and spoken word, their upcycled creations go from rags to runway using only waste textiles and sustainable materials. Much more than a fashion show, this spectacular event is layered with stories about the threads that connect people, places and the planet.
In response to the global impact of fast fashion, the Haus Of Kraft Coventry collective team up with artists and writers from commonwealth countries to create a catwalk like no other.
