Trio of Outstanding Dance Works to Headline Annual Festival

Trio of Outstanding Dance Works to Headline Annual Festival

TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL 2017
4th to 15th October
Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland

Combining the stunning talents of dance luminaries Douglas Wright, Mary Jane O’Reilly, Mark Baldwin, Louise Potiki-Bryant and Sarah Foster-Sproull, Tempo Dance Festival is proud to announce the first three shows for their 14th annual Festival. Returning once again to grace the stages of Q Theatre from 4 – 15 October, the programme brings together the finest of performers, with a series of workshops, events and post show forums.

Opening the festival is the new multi-media work NGARO, created by Louise Potiki Bryant with composer Paddy Free and artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne. NGARO integrates emotive solo performance with sound, video and textile installation, evoking the often hidden and faceless journey of losing oneself to mental illness. Showing at Rangatira on Wednesday 4 October for one performance only, the reflective work delves into the concept of collective consciousness from a Māori perspective. Potiki Bryant was the recipient of the prestigious 2014 Harriet Friedlander New York Residency by The Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Celebrating the founding of ground-breaking New Zealand modern dance company Limbs, Limbs@40 brings together a selection of iconic works by three of NZ’s most renowned dancer/choreographers – Mary Jane O’Reilly (QSM), Douglas Wright (NZ Arts Laureate) and Mark Baldwin (now Artistic Director of the prestigious Rambert Dance Company in London). Taking to the stage of Rangatira on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 October, Limbs@40 commemorates the legacy and influence of the iconic company, whose compelling choreographic style and tenacity for refusing to be ignored put both them and contemporary dance on the map across New Zealand.

A striking new work by Sarah Foster-Sproull, ORCHIDS is born from a fascination with the mythology that surrounds the orchid flower. Described as “richly resonant” and “quite extraordinary” by reviewer Raewyn Whyte (NZ Herald), the show imbued with compelling imagery plays at Rangatira on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October, underpinned by Eden Mulholland’s evocative score. Taking place in an entrancing metaphysical realm, ORCHIDS unpacks the complex female spirit – divulging secrets of feminine magic and lost ritualistic practices, and conjuring characters of the occult with women as mothers, witches, sirens and lovers; beasts, deities and otherworldly creatures bearing an inherent link to the divine.

Returning in 2017 for a 14th year, the full programme announcement is still to come. For updates and exclusive ticket offers, head to www.tempo.co.nz

SELECT TEMPO SHOWS ARE NOW ON PRE-SALE FOR TEMPO SUBSCRIBERS!
Not a subscriber? Join our mailing list now and we'll send you a link to access our exclusive Pre-Sale ticket offer for Ngaro, Limbs@40 and Orchids for a limited time only. Plus, you'll receive our Tempo newsletter with news, updates, behind-the-scenes info and special ticket offers. Visit tempo.co.nz to sign up.

Tempo Dance Festival 2017
4th to 15th October
Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland CBD
Bookings: www.tempo.co.nz or www.qtheatre.co.nz (ph) 09 309 9771

ends

© Scoop Media