Anna posted on May 23, 2009 04:38
The May Arts Festival continues its run of high quality arts events with its dance highlight of two performances from Footnote Dance.
New Zealand's national contemporary dance company will present the return of its perennial dance favourite, 2009 Made inNew Zealand, a unique highlight of the dance calendar that showcases original home-grown dance works set to New Zealand music on Sunday May 24 at Repertory House, Invercargill. The company will perform twice, at 1.30pm and 4.00pm.
Creative Projects Manager at Venture Southland, Angela Newell, is excited about Footnote adding Invercargill to their tour.
“With so little contemporary dance coming to Southland, Footnote will bring a welcome balance to the dance scene. Their repertoire is always innovative and the youth and experience of the company, combined with the choreographers and composers makes for an original show that is bound to please audiences,” she said.
The Invercargill performance is part of a national tour, which is beginning on May 20 and taking in Wellington, Auckland, Hastings and Hamilton. The company had a preview session in Dunedin at the Fringe Festival which proved very successful.
Footnote Dance's 2009 Made in New Zealand features graceful and gut-busting dance works by some of this country's best contemporary choreographers including Michael Parmenter, Malia Johnston and Raewyn Hill.
The inspiration for the work is quintessentially Kiwi, from a New Zealand choreographer’s perspective on the caged birds in a Hong Kong park, to robotic Playstation punch-ups and good ol' Kiwi friendships!
The Made in New Zealand series has a special focus on the collaboration between the choreographer and composer, who often toil back and forth to create an original piece from the ground up. Composers featured in the 2009 Invercargill season include Eden Mulholland, David Long and Dudley Benson.
Footnote Dance director Deirdre Tarrant said this year's programme is a testament to the collaborative wonder that occurs when artists from dance and music combine. "These choreographers and musicians take a step back for their inspirations and a step forward for their realisation," she said. "For artists it’s about going forward and exploring new places – and when times are tough, the places they explore are both compelling and fascinating."
"We've pulled together some of New Zealand's greatest choreographers, coupled them to fantastic home-grown music and together they have created works specially for the fabulous Footnote dancers who are among the best this country has to offer."
Since establishing its identity as a unique programme of kiwi repertoire in 2007, Made in New Zealand has become a touchstone in the New Zealand dance calendar.
Choreographers previously featured have included Jeremy Nelson, Merenia Gray, Julia Sadler, Moss Patterson, Tim Fletcher and Sarah Knox.
Footnote Dance: 2009 Made in New Zealand
Invercargill – Repertory House: May 24 1.30pm & 4pm
Tickets at Invercargill i-site
www.footnote.org.nz
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