Dance Feast

Image courtesy Body Festiavl 2009.

Today marks the start of the 2009 Body Festival, which is being staged here in Christchurch. Unfortunately the weather is foul – wet and freezing cold – so everyone will be hoping it clears in time for tonight’s launch in Victoria Square, which kicks off with a world record attempt at the largest-ever line dance. Beyond that, the festival programme includes everything from contemporary dance to ballet, Indian classical dance, speed dancing, flamenco, jazz, salsa, tap and a whole host of dance classes that include everything from the Charleston to Maori poi dancing. One of the highlights will be the debut season of the new Christchurch-based contemporary dance company, Southern Lights (pictured), who will perform three new works. www.thebody.co.nz

Fiery Flamenco

Tierra Flamenca @ Ngaio Marsh Theatre, Christchurch. Oct.2008. Ajr

It was all twirling skirts, stomping feet, clicking fingers, sweeping arms and rhythmic clapping at last night’s power-packed performance of Tierra Flamenca – the last show in The Body Festival 2008. I was twelve rows back, in the dark, with no flash (I hate flash; refuse to use it), so it’s a credit to my little camera that I came away with any images at all. These are by no means a perfect record of the expressive brilliance we were treated to, but I rather like the blurred look – it captures a little of the sense of speed and movement of the two dancers as they stomped their way passionately across the stage, all energy and highly-charged emotion.

Move Me

Move-Me.com Booth. Image Supplied by The Body Festival 2008.

I swung by the Christchurch Art Gallery over the weekend to take a look at the Move-Me.com booth, which is part of this year’s Body Festival. Let me just say that it doesn’t look half as enticing as this photograph. In fact, it almost had a peep-show quality to it and even assuming people were doing what they were supposed to be doing in there, was too much for my over-active imagination to grasp. But that’s another story. I don’t want to besmirch a perfectly innocent art/dance installation. The booth – the work of British dance screen artists Katrina McPherson and Simon Fildes – has been critically acclaimed for its “fun, accessible interface and excellent associated website.” It allows you to create your own dance film using provided choreography and then track it on the associated website. Maybe I’ll give it a go next time – as long as no one is peeping.

Putting on My Dancing Shoes

Tierra Flamenca. Image supplied by The Body Festival 2008.

Lucky me! Tonight I'm off to see Tierra Flamenca!

I'll report back.

http://www.thebody.co.nz/

OOPS! Sorry folks. That's next weekend. Got my dates confused.

Hovering About

"Hover" by Scrambled Legs. Image supplied by The Body Festival.

Here’s an exercise for you! Just the thing to limber up with on a Friday morning! These girls are from the Christchurch dance company, Scrambled Legs, who will be performing this astonishing dance, “Hover,” tonight and Saturday as part of The Body Festival 2008. Why don't you give it a go?

Dancing, Spinning, Flickering

Flicker. Photo Supplied by The Body Festival.

I'm a sucker for a beautiful dance photograph, so here's another one from this year's Body Festival. Tomorrow night you can slip along to the Southern Ballet Theatre to watch the dance company, Spinning Sun entwine humour, mystery and beautiful dance moves in a performance called Flicker, choreographed by award-winning choreographer, Ann Dewey. It’s part of The Body Festival 2008 and runs Thursday through Saturday nights. By all accounts it’s a rare treat – a whole new way of viewing dance. www.thebody.co.nz

It's All Happening...........

Christchurch - Two Views; Pix Supplied.

In Christchurch

Everything from the usual madness and good times of the SOL Square bars (lower image).

To the busy programme of events in this year's Body Festival of Dance & Physical Theatre, which is now underway in several city venues.

Getting Physical

RHB Dance Troupe. Sept. 2008. Photo courtesy of The Body Festival.

Look out Christchurch! The RHB Dance troupe is coming to town – in their leotards! RHB = Real Hot Bitches and these girls are on a mission. They’re out to break a world record – and in those leotards I’m sure they’ll succeed – for the largest synchronized dance routine the world has seen. It’s all part of The Body Festival – this Friday’s opening event in fact. Prancing about with thousands of others to the tune of Bon Jovi’s 1984 hit “Shot Through the Heart,” this mad Wellington trio is likely to give Cathedral Square a total shake-up – and that’s not a bad thing. You don’t have to be a dancer, you don’t need any finesse or skill of any sort to take part – just a bit of courage and a sense of humour. Last year they inspired over 2,000 people to flaunt themselves to Bon Jovi tunes during Wellington’s Cuba Street Carnival. It goes without saying that they’ll be expecting a lot more of Christchurch. Good luck with that girls – tell everyone to wear Canterbury colours and carry a rugby ball and I’m sure you’ll get a great response. Meet in the Square at 5pm Friday 26th for kick-off. I, of course, will be there sans leotard. I’ll be the one with the camera! www.thebody.co.nz www.real-hot-bitches.co.nz

The Body Festival

"Coming Home". Image Supplied by The Body Festival. Sept.2008.

I am the lucky recipient of some stunning dance photographs - shots taken to promote Body Festival 2008 and although the festival doesn’t actually kick-off until next Friday, September 26th – I can’t wait to use them. So here is something gorgeous to lure you along to the 17-day event here in Christchurch. It’s a shot from “Coming Home,” a choreographed piece from three recent graduates/emerging artists from Christchurch, which will be performed at Hagley Dance Studio on Friday, October 10th