The 2024 Tempo Dance Festival had a remarkable opening night this year with a one-hour programme of five dance pieces collectively billed as ‘TWO’. It was a collaboration between the Royal New Zealand Ballet and The BalletCollective Aotearoa and each of the pieces conceived by a guest choreographer.
Last Time We Spoke – Sarah Knox (choreographer)
Opening with Knox’s exploration of community and connection, six dancers entered wearing sheer white tunics reminiscent of Roman togas. With it’s uplifting piano music and exquisite movement the entire piece was incredibly inspiring and transcendent. This was a mix of traditional ballet with a contemporary feel. The dancers moving with such grace it reminded me of birds, pair bonded for life reconnecting after time apart. It was simply gorgeous and romantic.
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1440 Pas de Deux from High Tide – Alice Topp (choreographer)
Two dancers emerge from the dark, he in an open necked shirt, she in a short yellow one piece dress and giving off a distinctive 60s vibe. Their moments are elegant and tender, slow and almost contemplative at first. There was palpable chemistry and trust between these two and though their faces were often blank there was intense emotion on display and a raw and strong physicality on display. The music had an achingly romantic almost melodramatic sound that perfectly matched the choreography. If Last Time We Spoke was about connection and intimacy, this piece was about intense desire.
Two – Shaun James Kelly (choreographer)
String instruments ushered in this piece as two men in white enter, they pass one another and then return. They dance beautifully in unison and then spend time apart before coming back to one another. This was romantic yet masculine. After a while they part and wave goodbye. But questions remain, was this a brief romantic encounter or simply two people brought together by happenstance and forming a friendship? My hunch is the former, but whatever it was, the time they spent together was sweet and engaging.
Subtle Dances by Loughlan Prior (choreographer)
For me there was no doubt this dance was about human love and romance, but it was a seductive and flirtatious experience with dancers dressed in sheer black clothing, and in one case one of the male dancers bare chested.
The music and many of the movements had a latin influence and individuals danced alone, in couples and sometimes in larger groups. This was an exciting exploration of human desire and sexuality but all done in a playful and sensual way with occasionally dramatic moments.
Titania and Oberon Pas de Deux from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Liam Scarlett (choreographer)
The final piece saw the dancers from Shaun Kelly’s Two return but this time in a more traditional ballet presentation. He in blue tights and a black sequinned jacket, she in a flowing white gown.
It was more formal and to me spoke of a growing love but one with potential clouds on the horizon. Unlike Two, these characters smiled. There was a sense of innocence and tenderness but also at times exuberance as though this was perhaps their first love.
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All five acts of the evening’s presentation were so beautifully choreographed with their soundtracks perfectly matched to the movements and the mood. The attention paid to costuming and lighting was again superb. As to the dancing? Perfection. Nothing more needs to be said.
TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL
10-20 October 2024