Fluidly straddling the worlds of classical ballet, contemporary dance and more recently, neo-burlesque in her hit Edinburgh Fringe Festival work In Flagrante, Mary-Jane O'Reilly is a shape-shifter in the language and story of dance in New Zealand. Her only rule is it must exhilarate. Drawing on Mary-Jane's gift for sizzle and polish, Ballet Noir is a fiendishly clever contemporary ballet work that channels the tragi-romantic narrative of the great ballets through the cryptic and edgy lens of 1940/50’s Film-Noir, with all its greyscale tension and stylish vainglory.
A meditation on the mysterious forces of darkness, characters include jaded femmes fatales, a young innocent abroad and two friends out for a night on the town, who, by chance, get trapped in the Ice Queen and her Cynic's night of vengeance.
Featuring fifteen of Auckland’s finest dancers, the performance is an exquisite blend of dance, music, filmic imagery and the sensation of smell, with featured perfumes adding a unique experiential layer to the performance. Wearing sharply tailored authentic vintage jackets, skirts and hats, the dancers inhabit a world of secret rituals, rivalries and power struggles, where salvation only comes with a broken heart.
Reviews and audience quotes from Ballet Noir:
“The sombre sensibility of this elegant work – a characteristic of the archival and experimental style of this much-respected choreographer and her collaborators” - Felicity Molloy, Theatreview
“We loved it - passionate, strong, striking. A visual and an emotional experience throughout” - Audience survey comment
“Very original choreography and production. World class” - Audience survey comment
“It was enthralling. The set, music, film, costumes, stunning choreography and beautiful dancing” - Audience survey comment
Sponsors:
Auckland Regional Arts and Culture Grant
Latecomer policy:
Latecomers will be admitted up to and during the first 10 minutes of the performance. Latecomers may not be seated in their allocated seats, so as to minimise disruption to the performance.
Now in its annual season, Keys for Cure brings together over 100 young musicians – including talented pianists, string players, and dancers – from across New Zealand.
This rip roaring comedy epic, directed by Barnie Duncan, comes to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time. Two actors, one musician, 40+ characters, and 60 minutes.
An immersive celebration of dance, theatre, and spectacle—where dazzling characters, bold costumes, and playful chaos collide in a vibrant, surreal world brimming with energy, surprise, and pure entertainment.
