AΦE is a dance company founded by Aoi Nakamura (Japanese) and Esteban Lecoq (French) in 2016. They were the UK's first dance company to tour Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) productions internationally. 

AΦE creates original narratives and distinctive storytelling approaches that reinvent the audience experience while pushing the industry's boundaries and broadening the range of audiences. Through their productions, they have successfully toured 16 countries, and over 70 venues and engaged with over 21,000 live audiences and participants worldwide. They continually strive to rethink the possibilities of live performances with a storytelling-centric practice that allows them to reach out to different audiences than traditional dance production. 

Supporting them on this journey they have partnered with high-end technology brands and research institutions such as Scan Computers, NVIDIA, and Creative Technology, which they are inviting into the dance world to push its boundaries. In only 6 years, they have established their company as one of the leading dance companies working with technology and garnered the support of some of the most prestigious venues and organisations around the world including Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, Sydney Festival, and Théâtre de Chaillot in Paris. Their work has also been presented at International Film Festivals. 

They started their curatorial practice in 2017 at Devonshire Collective’s visual art exhibition and digital weekender, followed by producing ALT*ASH, an outdoor interactive digital art programme that took place during lockdown in April 2021 on Ashford’s High Street, engaging 29,000 live audience members and 139,000 online. 

In 2021 they became associate artists of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries – University of Kent (iCCi) and launched A+E Lab located in Historic Dockyard Chatham, UK. Across all their work, they engaged over 101,000 live audiences and participants internationally.