Neverland Space Theatre https://neverlandspacetheatre.cargo.site/about-us

In contemporary performing arts, ‘space theater’ is emerging as an innovative practice exploring the relationship between body and space.  Jiarong has established Neverland Space Theatre to choreograph ‘space theatre’ in the site-specific context of  contemporary architecture.  In space theater, the dancer’s body becomes a medium for interacting with a specific space, allowing the audience to perceive the characteristics and meanings of a space through observing the dancer's movements. As space theatre evolves it is integrating fields such as architecture, dance, digital interaction technologies, philosophy, and psychology. Jiarong integrates wearables and haptics into her productions enabling ‘embodied interaction’ where the dancers movements are able to be transferred to the digital realm in real-time.  

The Villa Savoye

"Towards New Architecture" is inspired by Corbusier’s masterpiece, the Villa Savoye, completed in 1931. The open layout of the Villa with large windows allowing natural light to flood the interior, blurs its boundaries. There is a seamless interplay between  inside and outside, creating a sense of continuity with the surrounding landscape. Inspired by this design Jiarong has choreographed a dance which seeks to interpret the emotion and meaning of the architectural space through the dancers' physical movements and through embodied digital interaction technology.

The plot

In "Toward a New Architecture" Jiarong treats the building as a living emotional being. The plot revolves around two architects who are grappling with design conflicts in designing the Villa Savoye. They escape the tedious daily design routine falling asleep and dreaming that they engage in a dialogue with the spirit of the building. Upon awakening, they collaborate with this spirit to create the groundbreaking new architecture of the Villa Savoye. On stage they emerge from the audience to break the 'fourth wall' of traditional theatre.  

In this way Corbusier's "Five Points of a New Architecture" are used to translate spatial perception and emotional experience into dance. The dancers use unique body language and movements to portray the characteristics of the architectural space. The audience is guided into an art space filled with imagery and sensory experiences, deeply perceiving the intrinsic connection between architecture and dance.

People：

Director & Choreographer：Jiarong Yu

Jiarong is BE and MFA trained architect, dancer and choreographer. She is a hexagonal warrior. Her strength in performance is using embedded movement as a medium to mix various interdisciplinary art genres to create unique experiences. Jiarong is the founder and artistic director of Neverland Space Theatre. Recent projects include " Toward a New Architecture" -  a collaboration with Zaha Hadid's architects to create immersive performances that combine dance, movement and interactive installations. She has worked, collaborated with and created performances for many art galleries, events and performance companies in the UK and China.

Producer：Simon Hodgkinson

As the Founder and Director of Slash Arts, Simon stages multi-artist events involving combinations of dance, music, poetry, site specific theatre, and visual arts. He identifies and works with talented emerging artists providing opportunities for travel, networking and collaboration, creativity and production. He has been working with Jiarong on this project for 18 months.   

Architect & Digital Designer：Bowen Miao

Bowen is an alumnus of the Architectural Association School of Architecture and currently works at Zaha Hadid Architects. He is responsible for the embodied technology and screens which track the dancdrs movements and superimpose them on drawings of the Villa Savoye. 

Videographer & Editor：Koji Kashiwa

Individual film-maker, specialized in cinematography and editing, graduated from UCL Documentary Film-making, greatly experienced in producing promotion videos for artist groups and making individual documentaries. He has worked for different famous artistic agencies across the world, such as filming events and interviews for Chinese New Star Press, directing / shooting / editing promotion films for the stage plays produced by London Mist Studio. His first individual documentary the Ruin of Sounds was screened at the UCL East Cinema.

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