Patois

by Jeanefer Jean-Charles

What happens when unspoken languages come together?

Patois explores what happens when two unwritten languages meet: the spoken language of Patois (French Creole) and the movement language of dance.

British-Caribbean choreographer Jeanefer-Jean Charles MBE (London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant) reawakens the unwritten language of Patois, telling a story of culture, lost languages, longing and belonging. Of the movement of people across continents and the dialect which is at risk of being lost forever.

Blending captivating traditional Caribbean choreography with exhilarating contemporary dance and an original Caribbean-folk score, this journey across generations touches on universal experiences of identity and celebrating languages as a key to our past and to ourselves, rediscovering hidden voices and identities rooted in dialects that are buried within us, to reawaken cultures, stories and generations of the past.