Paradise Rumour. Black Grace

22 March 2024. St James Theatre, Wellingtonreviewed by Jennifer Shennan Paradise Rumour, commissioned by Sharjah Festival in UAE (now that’s different), has toured in USA, and also performed in Auckland and Christchurch. This single performance in Wellington marks the end of its current season though further performances in Australia and the Pacific—Noumea? Suva? Honolulu? would make a lot of sense. The Black Grace team is on top of their game—producing a printed program which

Belle—A Performance of Air. Movement of the Human

14 March 2024. St James Theatre, Wellington reviewed by Jennifer Shennan Belle—A Performance of Air is a theatrical event of monumental proportions. The stage is mostly a launching pad for take-off from gravity, with high-flying spinning aerialists and moving sculptures that evoke time past and time future in a range of astonishing ways. There’s a striking opening image—backlit figures wired into a ground control centre, they’re there then

Stunt Double. The Farm

14 March 2024. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre Stunt Double is a jaw-dropping immersive theatre experience bringing audiences inside the filming of a 1970s Aussie action flick. So goes one encouragement to attend a performance of Stunt Double, the latest production from the Gold Coast based dance-theatre company The Farm. The work of The Farm, going by the previous productions

Dance diary. February 2024

The annual Russell Kerr Lecture for 2024 took place in Wellington on Sunday 25 February. The lecture honoured Sir Jon Trimmer, esteemed artist who made a huge contribution to ballet in New Zealand, and who died last year. I was to give a short talk in which I planned, by focusing on images including some costume designs, to show how

Jungle Book Reimagined. Akram Khan Company

23 February 2024. St James Theatre, Wellingtonreviewed by Jennifer Shennan A fascinating in-depth interview late last year on Radio New Zealand between Akram Khan and Kim Hill—(which of her interviews has not been deep and fascinating?)—is well worth accessing in RNZ archive. It’s no surprise to learn there that the bright mind and ferocious drive from Khan’s youngest days has

Tutus on Tour. Royal New Zealand Ballet

24 February 2024. Te Raukura, Kapitireviewed by Jennifer Shennan The two recently appointed directors at RNZB, Tobias Perkins and Ty King-Wall, express in the program’s introduction their hope that the national Tutus on Tour production will leave the audience captivated, moved and wanting more. It did and we do. The program opens with a set of excerpts from Swan Lake,

Hatupatu Kurungaituku—A Forbidden Love. Taki Rua Productions

Artistic Direction: Tānemahuta GrayKapa Haka choreography: Wētini Mītai-Ngãtaiat Tawhiri in Wellington. 20 – 24 February 2024 and following tour to Auckland, Christchurch & Rotoruareviewed by Jennifer Shennan It’s always a special moment for an audience when the poster image for a production is revealed in the course of play—only fleetingly, there it was, but we recognise it instantly since we

Hilary Trotter (1933–2024)

Hilary Trotter, whose influence on the role of dance in society, especially in Australia, is almost without measure, has died in Canberra in her 91st year. From a personal point of view, she helped me for several years with the establishment of Brolga. An Australian Journal About Dance. And from the point of view of the growth of professional dance

Jungle Book Reimagined from Akram Khan Company. A review

3 February 2024. Canberra Theatre Below is a slightly expanded review of Jungle Book Reimagined originally published by Canberra’s City News on 4 February 2024. English choreographer Akram Khan has made a name for himself as an artist who pushes boundaries and who looks for new ways of presenting well known stories. His 2016 production of Giselle, which he removes

Tribute to Jon Trimmer

2 February 2024. Opera House, Wellingtonby Jennifer Shennan Sir Jon Trimmer, dancer extraordinaire and leading artist of the Royal New Zealand Ballet for decades, died in October 2023. Yesterday a Tribute to the man and artist was presented in Wellington to a capacity audience at the Opera House. Guest of Honour was Jacqui, Lady Trimmer, also a dancer with RNZB, who