A Jellyfish Love Song is a NEW family show raising awareness about climate change using recycled set and instruments, song, dance, puppetry and projection.
In collaboration with Laurie Newman, author of Jessie the Jellyfish, this show combines dance and puppetry and the set is made entirely from recycled plastic.
A Jellyfish Love Song is a dancing ritual in a utopian underwater world where star-crossed jellyfish sing a love song and take us on a journey to JOY.
Age range: 3+
The choreographers & dancers acknowledge with gratitude that this dance piece is informed by Afro Cuban, Kuduru, House, Kizomba, Capoeira, breaking (breakdance) and Bachata. We acknowledge the painful history of colonialism and enslaved people that has led to the creation of these diasporic dances and commit to honoring and respecting them and their history, also acknowledging all the unrecognised cultural lineages and stories that are untold.
Production: Dancers: Isaac Ouro Gnao, David Evans, Benedicta Valentina, Ofelia Balogun
and we honour and love Isaac Ouro Gnao, Patrick Ziza, Milton Lopez, Elsabet Yonas, Franck Arnaud Lusbec and Lucia Afonso who were invoilved in an R&D of the work (before it became a Children’s show).
Choreography: Ella Mesma and Dancers
Costume: Sabrina Henry
Set Design: Holly Miller
Lighting: Alan Dawson
Music: Written by Sabio Janiak. Piano, vocal, didgeridoo, ocarina, drums, programming, percussion, clarinet, electronica by Sabio Janiak. Duele vocal by Ella Mesma. Povo vocal by Nuno Silva
Dramaturgical Support: Luke Pell (through South East Dance Collaborate: Dramaturg in Residence 2018) and Dr Edson Burton
Photography and Videography: Jessica Mitchell (Earth Motion Photography), Ashley Karrell (Panoptical) and Ersen Ermis
Funding: Arts Council of England, Metal Liverpool (Change Maker artist in residency 2018), South East Dance (Collaborate: Dramaturg in Residence 2018), Eclipse Theatre (Playpot), Audience members via Crowd Funding.
Support: Trinity Centre, Bristol. Pervasive Media Studio, Bristol. Serendipity, Leicester. Dance City, Newcastle. Dance Umbrella, London. Sadler’s Wells, London. Northern Stage, Newcastle. Kala Sangam, Bradford. Yorkshire Dance, Leeds.
Mentoring: Fergus Evans (Big Feast), Degna Stone (Slate Enabler), Theatre Bristol, Rachel Bradbear, Annie Rigby (Unfolding Theatre via Slate)
Participation: Contemporary Dance Workshop, Kuduru Dance, Sessions, Folkloric Dance (Orishas) Lessons, Musical instrument making recycling plastic.
We create magic experiences using a diverse range of folkloric dance styles & aerial silks to bring the stories that we would love to have seen growing up to life
