Celebrated New Zealand dancer and choreographer Michael Parmenter will direct his first full length contemporary dance work in a decade, with The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC), for the 2018 Auckland Arts Festival in March.
OrphEus – a dance opera is a bold new work performed by the NZDC dancers and accompanied by a suite of musical artists who will perform live.
In this epic production, and in his signature style, Parmenter confronts the power of music and voice in both the personal and the political realms.
During the great Orphic period of 17th Century France, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice represented, for many artists and writers, the power of art to transcend suffering and death. In this familiar story of love and loss, and through the lens of this mythic yet deeply personal tragedy, OrphEus – a dance opera thrillingly interprets the eternal challenge of the artist – to seek the familiar or venture into dangerous uncharted territory.
Over the past twenty years, Michael Parmenter has created some of the most challenging and exciting contemporary dance work in New Zealand. He has presented bold experimental work in a variety of venues across the country, he has choreographed, danced and directed large and hugely successful work to packed houses and he’s developed an enthusiastic following for his work.
The New Zealand Dance Company, spearheaded by Arts Laureate Shona McCullagh, has quickly become one of New Zealand’s leading performing contemporary dance companies since launching in 2012.
Dedicated to producing and presenting inspiring new dance for New Zealand and the world, to date NZDC have undertaken an ambitious five national plus numerous international tours. International performances have included two appearances at the prestigious Holland Dance Festival and in 2018 the company will head back to Europe to perform at Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. OrphEus – a dance opera marks the company’s sixth production and their first full-length work with Parmenter.
McCullagh has rallied a superlative creative team for OrphEus – a dance opera, which includes Costume Designer Tracy Grant Lord, Set Designer John Verryt, Lighting Designer Nik Janiurek, Dramaturg Keren Chiaroni and Sound Designer David Downes.
The musical performers include Grammy Award–winning American tenor Aaron Sheehan, baroque ensemble Latitude 37 and other special guests.
Comprised top graduates from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Latitude 37 is an exciting baroque trio whose members were drawn together by their passion for historically informed performance of 17th and 18th century music. The special combination of baroque violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord has created wealth of repertoire that is rarely explored by other ensembles.
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