…afterthoughts to Festivals in Wellington, and Auckland…and RNZB The Piano:the ballet by Jennifer Shennan Recent worldwide weather events have seen unprecedented extremes in both directions. As we cool down into autumn in New Zealand, we could be mindful of the northern hemisphere’s rite of spring (loads of daffodils apparently, but still cold and wet). We might all be wondering about
31 March 2018 (matinee), Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Queensland Ballet’s La Bayadère is not the Bayadère you may have seen before. Choreographer Greg Horsman has reimagined the old story and created a new narrative set in India at the time of the British raj. The change is clear immediately one enters the theatre where a striking front cloth from designer Gary
La Scala Ballet Queensland has scored another coup in its QPAC International Series with La Scala Ballet from Milan to perform in Brisbane in November 2018. The company will perform two works, Don Quixote (Nureyev production) and Giselle. Further details at this link. In the footsteps of Ruth St Denis Liz Lea’s film that follows the trail of Ruth St Denis
30 March 2018, Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre Many words come to mind when thinking about Alone, a work by Jack Riley made on four dancers: confronting, demanding, mesmerising, mysterious, thought-provoking, physical, dangerous, even a little spooky at times. After a bit of silence while we contemplate a shape under a grey blanket, Alone begins with a bang! Riley enters
St James Theatre Wellington, 14 March 2018Choreography: Michael Keegan-Dolan. Music: Slow Moving Clouds Reviewed by Jennifer Shennan It is revealing to read an interview with Michael Keegan-Dolan in the local press in which he admits that he thinks this latest production, Swan Lake—Loch na hEala, is his best work to date. Many an artist would say the latest work is the best
16 March 2018. State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne This program was a retrospective of works by Graeme Murphy and was in celebration of his long association with the Australian Ballet. The evening began with a brief film clip of Murphy talking about those moments for a choreographer, and by extension for a dancer and for the audience, when a
1 March 2018, Aotea Centre, AucklandReviewed by Jennifer Shennan Aforethoughts and Afterthoughts. English National Ballet’s season of Giselle, in an acclaimed new production choreographed by Akram Khan, has just played at the Auckland Arts Festival. The setting has migrant workers stranded after a clothing factory closes down, and the clash between workers and factory bosses echoes the contrast of villagers
8 March 2018, QL2 Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, Canberra What follows is a slightly expanded version of my review for The Canberra Times of Liz Lea’s RED. A link to the online version of The Canberra Times‘ review is at the end of this post. The pre-show media for Liz Lea’s new work RED prepared us to expect something a
In February I had the pleasure, and honour of presenting the inaugural Russell Kerr Lecture in Ballet and the Related Arts in Wellington, New Zealand. I spoke about the life and career of Wellington-born designer Kristian Fredrikson, of whom New Zealanders are rightly proud (as indeed are we Australians). The lecture was made possible by a fund, recently established by
18 February 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Have you ever wondered what happens inside (and outside) a film studio? Well Australian Dance Party’s latest show, In a flash, gives a clue. Commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, In a flash was made in response to Starstruck, a Gallery exhibition of portraits of Australian film personalities. Party Leader Alison Plevey assembled four