View From The Gods: Auckland Debut

Media Release: Sept 20

VIEW FROM THE GODS

Jack Gray Dance

Review by Andrew Wood (The Christchurch Press, Sept 18).
VIEW FROM THE GODS, Great Hall, Christchurch Arts Centre, The Body Festival.

"The dancers became a trio of spirits whose performance seems structured around a jealous menage a trois, and begins with a sequence that stays very low to the floor. This ground-anchored physicality is woven into a subtle skein with passages of more traditional contemporary dance and some frenetic choreography that seemed to derive from rave culture and breakdancing resolving itself into exhaustion. The human performance was enriched by a marvellous ambient soundscape derived from the trance/techno spectrum. My favourite part, and the best expression of Gray's creativity, was an unexpected comedic section about half-way through in which the tenor of the piece suddenly changes and the dancers enact a menagerie of cartoon birds that merge into Heath Robinson machines, and back again, eliciting delighted cries from the audience. View From the Gods is clearly an athletically demanding piece".

After a succesful South Island premiere in Christchurch comes the much awaited Auckland debut of VIEW FROM THE GODS at Tapac Theatre, Western Springs from the 5th of October.

Supported by a Toi Maori Aotearoa 'Te Whakahaungia Choreographic Commission', this innovative cross-disciplinary design collaboration by Jack Gray Dance combines a dash of zesty contemporary dance, vibing electronica music and kaleidoscopic video (V.J) action.

Choreographer Jack Gray (Ngati Porou/Ngapuhi) crosses creative pathways with composer Eden Mulholland (Ngati Uepohatu) and videographer Ron-London Haretuku (Ngapuhi) to separately produce three autonomous yet connected bodies of work exploring abstract continuums of space and time. .

Dancers Kylie Harris, Adrian Smith and Megan Smith, inspire with an hour of continuous movement amidst pockets of dazzling light and phat beats to ensure a magnetic and mesmerizing experience-having left Christchurch audience members breathless by the intense physical demands of the choreography! Some responses included:

"I've never seen anything like it. The dancers were so muscly and fit! I can't believe they never got a break and stayed on stage the whole time!" (Brigid Sullivan)

"Sublime and mesmerising. I loved its episodic nature" (Adam Hayward, Festival Director)
"I very rarely connect to dance, but about halfway through I realised that I was a god and it was the view! Duh! I then took in the visuals and the dance as a whole and it totally changed the way I saw the rest of the piece". (Alexandra Simm)

The Tempo Festival proudly presents VIEW FROM THE GODS for a four-night season only, so book tickets through Ticketek now to avoid disappointment!

Auckland season
October 5-8, 8pm
Tapac Theatre, 100 Motions Road, Western Springs
$18 waged/$15unwaged
Bookings: Ticketek (09 307 500)
www.tempo.co.nz

Thanks to Toi Maori Aotearoa, Auckland Arts Alive, Christchurch Creative Communities, Christchurch Community Council, The Body Festival, Tempo!

ENDS

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