Dollie Henry MBE & Paul Jenkins are the people behind this year’s Jazz Arts ReWIRED Convention, which culminates with an event on 20 Sept at The Place.
I asked both to give us a flavour of what’s on – and what’s been available already in workshops – and to speak about jazz arts in general.
Where: The Place, King’s Cross
When: 20 Sep, 7.30pm
Ticket link: https://theplace.org.uk/book/instance/789038
How did the idea of Jazz Arts ReWIRED Convention come about?
As BOP is rapidly reaching its 30th Birthday, we have acquired a wealth of experience and expertise of how to sustain and develop an artistic jazz theatre company here in the UK.
However, we have often been frustrated and stymied by the lack of opportunities and funding that is often afforded to the Jazz Artform.
The Arts Council of England have been particularly egregious with their understanding and support of Jazz and during meetings with an ACE officer a few years ago, she informed us that there was ‘no community or audience’ for Jazz.
Somewhat taken aback, the only way we felt to challenge such an uneducated position was to evidence the great and varied community of Jazz here in the UK.
Therefore, Dollie and I decided to extend another branch to BOP by forming an organisation Jazz Theatre Arts UK dedicated to supporting, shaping and serving UK Jazz arts and artists, performers and creatives.
We initiated a Let’s Talk Jazz discussion forum which proved to be extremely popular, allowing us to champion jazz creatives and practitioners as well as the Legacy of jazz arts here in the UK.
In 2022 we had a series of meetings with Claire Connor the CEO of The Place who was extremely supportive and encouraging about our vision for Jazz and finding a home to present a programme for Jazz Dance Theatre.
From that meeting we were able to put our plans into action and in 2023 produced and curated the very first Jazz Arts Rewired Convention at The Place. It all proved to be very popular, and we sold out all tickets for the performance.
Following a debrief with Claire Conner and Eddie Nixon of The Place, they expressed how extremely encouraged there were by the convention and in particular the very diverse audience that we attracted to The Place, many of whom had never attended a performance there before.
It was agreed that we would build on JAR 23 and look to curate a Jazz Convention every two years, hence Jazz Arts Rewired 2025.
The evening includes work by BOP Jazz Theatre UK, Griots Dance Collective, Lukas Hunt Creations, The Ovonlen-Jones Duet and Footnotes Dancers. How do these complement or even challenge each other?
One of the reasons for the jazz convention performance is to show the rich, varied and diverse work created by jazz choreographers here in the UK.
Our only remit was that the artists use music that reflects the jazz tradition and all its many derivatives.
Therefore, all artists complement each other through the use of jazz music. The challenge is more of a creative one, as each choreographer strives to create work that reflects the jazz tradition and their individual creative journey.
There certainly is not a ‘challenge’ to each other as that contradicts the inclusive and supportive nature of the jazz genre.
Three of the companies BOP Jazz Theatre, Griots Dance Collective and Footnotes Dancers use music composed by Paul Jenkins.
Afro Jazz Grooves with – Bafana Matea – Is a Contemporary Jazz Dance Artist, choreographer and recognised dance teacher. An Alumni of Alvin Ailey School and with a stellar international performing career, Bafana brings his ultra cool style, specialising in a fusion of Afro-centric movements, jazz dance and true embodiment that is the vibrancy of traditional African dance moves, grooves and music.
JME Dance Company (Nottingham),
The Ovonlen-Jones Duet has created work rooted in the Authentic Jazz Lindy Hop tradition, and Lukas Hunt Creations has created a dance work using the music of the great afro jazz pioneer Fela Kuti.
Five emerging choreographers are included in the JAR25 Emerging Jazz Artist platform. What kind of work can we expect to see?
The performance will introduce five Emerging Jazz Choreographers selected for the JAR25 Emerging Jazz Artist Platform, which showcases new UK talent in jazz dance theatre.
This distinctive Emerging Artist initiative conceived by BOP Jazz Theatre Company is co-sponsored in partnership with One Dance UK and our ODUK Member Led Network – Jazz Theatre Arts UK.
This year’s selected Emerging Jazz Artists are:
- JME Dance Company (Nottingham)
- Fully Functioning Individuals (Wales & London)
- MMJazz Co. (Manchester)
- Nicola Mac – featuring The BRIT School Dancers (London)
- Noel Rodriguez (Surrey)
As well as performances, the convention included talks and workshops. Can you share some of the highlights?
Each of the 4 workshops focussed on a different derivative of the jazz tradition, offering participants a unique and inspiration experience.
Each class was led by established and recognised national and international Jazz Dance Theatre choreographers and practitioners.
We welcomed contemporary Jazz artist, choreographer and Dance teacher Bafana Matea woth Afro Jazz Grooves, and musical theatre performer Tarik Frimpong, who looked at Musical Theatre Jazz Performance.
Jazz artist, choreographer and Artistic Director of BOP Jazz Theatre Dollie Henry explored Creative Jazz Theatre Repertoire, and learned from one of the UK’s leading voices keeping the history of authentic Jazz and Lindy Hop techniques and styles alive and kicking, Lana Williams.
‘JAZZ is more than a Four-Letter Word’ – The cultural evolution, evaluation and ecology of jazz arts in the UK.’
Let’s Talk Jazz the forum offered a conversational space for deeper discussions, discovery and delivery, lifting the veil on the position and progress of jazz arts within our national performance and educational sectors.
The forum brought together a revered panel of jazz artists, creatives, educationalists and arts leaders as guest speakers, who throughout the discussion deliberated and disseminated the vision and viability of Jazz Theatre Arts in the UK.
If you were describing UK Jazz Theatre in three words, what would you use?
Original, Inspiring, Diverse