Another Sell-Out Success At The Festival Of Colour

PRESS RELEASE

Another Sell-Out Success At The Festival Of Colour

High altitude dance mixed with stories from the war zone, seasoned with a dash of guitar and a touch of drama marked the second sell-out day of the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour.

Footnote Dance kicked the day off with three contemporary dance works, performed in the high alpine setting of Treble Cone Ski Field. Clear blue skies ensured the crowds enjoyed the performance against stunning views over Mount Aspiring National Park and Lake Wanaka. Choreographed by highly acclaimed company director, Deirdre Tarrant, the performance took an energetic look at squares that confine, define, bind and release us in our day-to-day lives.

Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent, Peter Arnett spoke to a packed Infinity Pacific Crystal Palace about his experiences in Vietnam and Iraq. Chaired by National Radio's Chris Laidlaw, the session provided a fascinating insight into how the role of the media in war has changed from World War II to the current day.

David McPhail's Muldoon also pulled in a full house for his one-man show about the infamous New Zealand Prime Minister. Another sell out was the touring theatre, Wheeler's Luck, which packed out the Hawea Hall for the first of four performances around Wanaka during the Festival.

The day closed with an acoustic set from one of Australia's most celebrated singers, Kavisha Mazella and guitarist Gerry O'Beirne, renowned for his song writing that is a hybrid of the passion found in traditional Irish ballads and the freshness of contemporary music.

"Another stunning day in Wanaka, surrounded by wonderful performances," said festival director, Philip Tremewan. "The audiences keep flooding in and they are loving it!"

The Festival continues tomorrow with talks by artists, Grahame Sydney and Jeffrey Harris, comedy in the form of Niu Sila and music from Tocker and Friends. For more information on the festival, visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

-ends-

© Scoop Media