Auckland ups the tempo

From City Scene, published on 16 September, 2007

tempo˚ - New Zealand's Festival of Dance.

Turn up the tempo - New Zealand's largest annual dance festival will get Auckland city grooving from 29 September to 28 October.

New Zealand's largest annual dance festival will get Auckland city grooving from 29 September to 28 October. tempo˚ - New Zealand's Festival of Dance returns to Auckland with a programme that involves more than 90 performances. Festival director Mary Jane O'Reilly says 2007's programme will appeal to a wide-ranging audience with its world, contemporary, fringe, popular culture and youth dance styles, and free forums and workshops. Auckland City Council's Arts Alive is supporting this year's festival, with the line-up featuring international artists Corporation Tango and Cabal Noumea Ballet, and many of New Zealand's most illustrious dance groups and choreographers - including Touch Compass, Malia Johnston and Ann Dewey. The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company will perform a contemporary version of the fairy-tale Cinderella, Maori dance collective Atamira (pictured) will premiere a new work, Whakairo, and an outdoor Body Jam event will be held in Aotea Square on 30 September. A new festival initiative, Sky City Access for the Elderly, will also offer 1000 older people the opportunity to enjoy a festival event free of charge.

For more details, visit www.tempo.co.nz and for bookings, phone 0800 842 538.