Profile:Slanjayvah Danza

Slanjayvah Danza is an intercultural dance company with a unique artistic voice.

Bringing together the cultures of Scotland and Spain through a merging of TRAD arts, folk arts and contemporary dance theatre, Slanjayvah Danza is recognised internationally for “Putting the dance into storytelling”; for producing relatable, adventurous, and heart-warming experiences which honour our communities.

From the humble village hall to the global stage we know no bounds in reaching and delighting audiences with our magical marriage of dance, live music, song, film and folklore. With our finger on the pulse we collaborate with the freshest of talents and the most experienced of artists to create meaningful, energetic and positive experiences with, by and for the world community.

Where we are at:
In our latest work, 6 Feet, 3 Shoes, Jenni Wren returned to the roots of the company name which is derived from the old Scottish Gaelic language combined with sprinkle a Spanish influence. The name speaks of the early day collaborations between Jen of Scotland and her co-founding company members who hailed from Cordóba. 6 Feet, 3 Shoes recounts the tales of friendship between the trio and in a work that is “Delightful … from start to finish” – (David Mead, The Scotsman / Seeing Dance) Jen shares a detailed research of culture and friendship through a blend of traditional and contemporary dance styles, supported by live fiddle, guitar and drums.

Working in a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary territory has allowed us, over time, to develop a unique voice and style which is at home in both the worlds of the TRAD and folk arts, and that of contemporary performance contexts. Since its beginnings, Slanjayvah Danza has created, presented and toured work (inter)nationally, always researching within communities to create distinctive bespoke processes that will resonate and tell the authentic stories of those people. What this means is that the community plays a pivotal and magical role in the trajectory of the company and the work we create.

In 2019, Slanjayvah Danza re-formed itself as a SCIO charity SC049419, officially incorporating the original Gaelic spelling of its name (Slàinte Mhath Dannsa) and re-located home from Yorkshire to rural Perthshire, Scotland.