The New Zealand Dance Company - Announce Kiss The Sky Tour

The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) forges its stellar national and international reputation for powerful contemporary dance with its first national tour of Kiss The Sky, “a diverse magical experience” that “grabs your attention from start to finish” (DANZ).

Following their acclaimed Auckland premiere season in 2017, NZDC presents Kiss The Sky this April and May in Kerikeri, Wanaka, Invercargill, Wellington, New Plymouth, Nelson and Hamilton.

Tickets to all performances will go on sale today from nzdc.org.nz/kiss-the-sky.

NZDC Artistic Director Shona McCullagh showcases an Asian-Pacific constellation of original dance, music, and design, reflecting on the themes of nature and time.

In Kiss The Sky, McCullagh combines the high-octane physicality of Korean choreographer and composer KIM Jae Duk in his work Sigan; the vibrant aesthetic of New Zealand’s Victoria Columbus in her world premiere work The Fibonacci; and expands into a triple bill for the May leg of the tour with the powerhouse choreography of renowned Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake in the eccentric and imaginative If Never Was Now for “an evening of sensory indulgence” (Theatreview).

KIM Jae Duk’s quartet Sigan, commissioned for NZDC, draws from the dual themes of meditation and attack. A dynamic score created by Jae Duk himself features traditional Korean instruments: jang-gu (drum), kkwaenggwari (small gong) and jing (large gong) within a contemporary composition. The stunning dancers of NZDC shine in Sigan, which is "...not only visually, but technically flawless" (DANZ).

Victoria Columbus’ new work The Fibonacci, co-commissioned by the Festival of Colour and NZDC, is a reflection on the hidden pattern that weaves us together and reflects the harmony of our world. In a tribute to the memory of New Zealand arts management luminary Susan Paterson (formerly of Limbs, Royal NZ Ballet and New Zealand Festival), this commission is also generously supported by Jane Vesty, Greg Fahey and Brian Sweeney of SweeneyVesty.

Columbus, alongside sound and spatial designer Rowan Pierce use the mathematical Fibonacci sequence and its mysterious golden spirals as a point of departure, examining and creating a physical language that at its heart explores energy pathways through movement, as the connecting force between us all.

Stephanie Lake’s If Never Was Now is a surreal hive of buzzing activity reflecting the beauty and brutality of the natural world through "… moments of darkness, violent aggression, frustration with chaos amongst playfulness” (Theatreview). Somewhere in the future, Lake, who is one of the world’s most innovative choreographers, allows room for ambiguity with the contrast of the digital and robotic world paired against the biological and natural.

With lighting design by Jo Kilgour and Ben (Bosco) Shaw, costume by Elizabeth Whiting and Andrew Treloar, set by Rachael Walker and additional music by Robin Fox, the works in this programme have been described as “timeless beauty” (Manu Van Acker) during NZDC’s recent tour of Europe.

Witnessing the exceptional ”versatility, virtuosity and artistry” from the high-calibre NZDC dancers and “excellence of the design and production teams” (NZ Herald), Kiss The Sky will leave you dreaming for more.

NZDC DANCERS: Carl Tolentino, Chrissy Kokiri, Katie Rudd, Xin Ji, Chris Clegg and Ngaere Jenkins

NATIONAL TOUR DATES:

Double Bill including Sigan and The Fibonacci

UPSURGE Festival - Kerikeri, Bay of Islands John Dalton Theatre, Turner Centre Tuesday, 2 April 2019 at 7.30pm

Festival of Colour – Wanaka Lake Wanaka Centre Saturday, 6 April 2019 at 7.00pm and Sunday, 7 April 2019 at noon

Southland Arts Festival – Invercargill SIT Centrestage Theatre Wednesday, 10 April 2019 at 7.30pm

Triple Bill including Sigan, The Fibonacci and If Never Was Now

Wellington - The Opera House Wednesday, 1 May 2019 at 7.30pm

New Plymouth - TSB Theatre Saturday, 4 May 2019 at 7.30pm

Nelson- Theatre Royal Thursday, 9 May 2019 at 7.30pm

Hamilton - Clarence St Theatre Tuesday, 14 May 2019 at 7.30pm

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