Everybody Dance Now!

Everybody Dance Now!

World-renowned dance spectacular to kick off New Zealand Festival in Civic Square on Friday

New Zealand’s largest arts festival will start in spectacular style on Friday night, as the Kiwibank-partnered Le Grand Continental® showcases the skills of 150 amateur dancers who have spent six months rehearsing for the remarkable mass performance.

Created by distinguished Montreal choreographer Sylvain Émard, Le Grand Continental® has been performed all over the world, delighting audiences from New York to South Korea.

New Zealand Festival Artistic Director Shelagh Magadza says Le Grand Continental® is a very special way to celebrate the Festival’s 30th anniversary and mark the beginning of three weeks of some of the world’s best theatre, music, dance, and literature here in Wellington.

“Whether you’re a dancer or part of the audience, being at a Le Grand Continental® performance is one of those rare transformative experiences that can happen when community initiatives and great art meet. The buzz created by these talented dancers from every walk of life will be palpable,” Shelagh says.

A combination of line dancing and contemporary dance, the free outdoor show will be a 30-minute routine kicking off at 8.30 pm in the heart of our city, Civic Square. Following the show, the Festival invites the audience to let down their hair and join the party while popular group Chocolate Box Deluxe provide the music.

Selected dancers aged between 10 and 80 have rehearsed together in Wellington in the six months leading up to this one-off performance. Kiwibank General Manager, Brand & Communications, Nicky Ashton says Kiwibank is excited to see the hard work of so many people come to fruition. ”It shows what can be achieved when a group of people join together with a common goal. These amateur dancers have challenged themselves to create something extraordinary and Kiwibank is proud to support this spectacular indepen-dance,” she says.

Le Grand Continental will start at 8.30pm on Friday 26 Feb, with entertainment in Civic Square from 7pm.

Other Free NZ Festival Events

· The Contact Festival Playground is a gift to the city to celebrate the Festival’s 30th birthday on the waterfront near Frank Kitts Park. It will host the fantastic parent-powered junkyard fairground Arquitecutra de Feria and Tiffany Singh’s beautiful Fly Me Up to Where You Are flags.

· John Luther Adams’ unique composition for outside spaces, Sila: The Breath of the World will be performed by 60 Orchestra Wellington musicians in Civic Square on 5 and 6 March.

· After its hit run at Wellington’s Capital 150 celebrations, the Festival is bringing Page Turners back free of charge for those who missed it.

· All Artist Talks are free.

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