January 18, 2005
Causing A Commotion
Michael Parmenter’s contribution to New Zealand contemporary dance will be celebrated come festival time in Auckland
this coming summer.
COMMOTION, a retrospective of Parmenter’s most popular and acclaimed works will open during the AK05 at the Sky City
Theatre on March the 9th before heading on tour to Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Regarded by many as one of New Zealand’s leading artists Parmenter has created some the most important choreographic
statements in New Zealand dance. Commotion will also be the capping event of Parmenter’s 50th birthday celebrations.
His athletic and musical style has thrilled audiences and helped to create a generation of New Zealand dancers.
COMMOTION will feature 16 of our finest dancers from within New Zealand and overseas in a stunning programme of
Parmenter’s most popular ensemble works.
Highlights include Parmenter’s most significant achievement, The Dark Forest, signature works Tantra and Fields of
Jeopardy and the recent critically acclaimed Svedebka set to Stravinsky’s great score Les Noces. Parmenter has
structured COMMOTION as a rich emotional journey culminating in The Golden Builders the sensational final movement of
Jerusalem.
Named after the company that presented many of his works throughout the 90’s, Parmenter says COMMOTION will demonstrate
the energy and excitement that make our dancers unique as well being a celebration of the work he created for his
company.
“I have chosen works that show the passion and dramatic qualities of the dancers, and the incredible vitality they
generate when dancing as an ensemble. It will certainly be a night of COMMOTION and I suspect the energy will be
infectious for the audience too.”
Judging by audience response to the final movement of Jerusalem, culminating in 12 dancers attached to bungees leaping
skywards, an image that captures a revelatory vision before an archetypal New Zealand landscape, COMMOTION will contain
the sort of contemporary dance that New Zealander’s love to see.
Appearing onstage will be a number of sensational New Zealand dancers currently working overseas, who will be returning
especially to appear in this Parmenter retrospective. Sarah-Jayne Howard, Anna McRae, Helaina Keeley, Claire O’Neil and
Matthew Smith have all been granted leave from their companies to dance in COMMOTION.
In addition COMMOTION will feature some of the finest dancers currently working in New Zealand; Taane Mete, Tai Royal,
senior practitioners from an earlier generation, Chris Jannides, Lyne Pringle and Kilda Northcote, and will introduce
new blood in the form of Erica Viedma.
COMMOTION promises to be a glorious celebration of fine dancing and masterful choreographer.
Following on from the Auckland season COMMOTION will play in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
ENDS