Dance Luminary Paints the Tempo Festival With Gold

MEDIA RELEASE
16 August 2006

Dance Luminary Paints the Tempo Festival With Gold

tempo 06 – The New Zealand Festival of Dance launched it’s annual programme last night at Galatos with the unveiling of the first artwork made for public sale by Douglas Wright.

The painting “Threedom” donated by Douglas Wright turned heads and caused great furore when it was unveiled to the VIP crowd of NZ dance practitioners, celebrities and the creative sector.

The festival has offered this work for public auction today on the trade me website.

The evening included Bollywood and salsa and the screening of the tempo animation and short video clips from international festival act REELDANCE.

The programme surprised audiences with its wide scope, featuring both international and national acts and covering six categories, and will be distributed citywide this week or available on www.tempo.co.nz

Previously a bi-annual festival tempo is now an annual event and permanent fixture in Auckland’s arts calendar. Director Mary-Jane O’Reilly says the decision to present an annual programme was due to “The exceptional talent of NZ dancers and the strong interest from international acts to present in the festival programme”.

tempo has expanded its inaugural annual programme to umbrella a wide range of events appealing to a wider Auckland audience with categories including Popular Culture, Youth, Fringe, World, Contemporary Dance and Behind The Scenes. The full programme will be announced on the 15th of August with a launch party at the old inner city Druids’ hall - GALATOS.

tempo 06 is a unique festival, which offers a wide range of dance opportunities to all dancers, and for dance artists the rare opportunity to mount work without huge financial risk, because of tempo’s support – an ethos which adds to the vibrant and rich landscape of the NZ arts and culture.

With only 6 weeks to go until the festival opening, Auckland gears up for a festival that caters to a wide and diverse audience. From burlesque to an Argentinean ballet troupe, to international hip hop guests and dance films there’s something to amuse and satisfy all tastes!

ENDS

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