Local Dance Work Celebrates Homegrown Talent And The Power Of Collaboration

Born from a need to connect and create in a time when doing so was difficult, new local modern dance show, CO-LECT, debuts this February - featuring seven short works from the minds and bodies of Waikato dancers and performers.

 CO-LECT, a collection of seven short modern dance works devised and performed by a group of twelve locals, premieres at The Meteor on the 3rd and 4th of February. Featuring local performers as young as 16 in the show, CO-LECT shines a spotlight on the creative talent brewing right here in the Waikato.

CO-LECT was first pursued to make a space where Waikato dancers could come together to celebrate dance and creativity. Led by local choreographer and creative, Hannah McFarlane, a group of local artists came together regularly to build each work that the show is comprised of.

“Each week, a bunch of us would gather in any way we could to brainstorm and create,” says McFarlane. “After a few months of working together, we’ve now got an awesome show that’s like going out for a tapas-style dinner - you get a taste of many items in one sitting.”.

Intertwining dance, voice, and visual effects, each of the seven works featured in CO-LECT makes a unique statement about the intriguing experience that dance can create. The show itself was also devised in a unique way, with rehearsals beginning in the thick of Waikato’s 2021 lockdown.

“After many Zoom rehearsals, socially-distanced outdoor workshops in parks, show date postponements and, finally, time in-studio together, I’m so excited to see CO-LECT take the stage. The fact that this show was born and mostly devised in a lockdown just shows how powerful creativity and collaboration can be!” says McFarlane.

Not only does CO-LECT celebrate human connection, it also showcases the dance talent that’s right here in the Waikato. The twelve locals that have created and will perform in CO-LECT have all trained locally and are based in the region, coming together in the seven works to present their skills, ideas and talent to a Waikato audience.

Tickets for CO-LECT can be purchased from http://themeteor.co.nz/events/.

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