Image: Asher Milgate
This year was a significant one for Tempo - it marked the 24th iteration of the festival and was also their biggest live programme since COVID restrictions were lifted. It was so good to see the festival back in full bloom and we were honoured to come on board as a partner this year to help deliver what was a fabulous showcase of rich, diverse dance talent. From intimate solos and captivating double bills, to gorgeous ballet and powerful street dance, there was truly a place for everyone in this year's line-up.
"The festival is an eclectic selection of works with wide appeal and many different audiences. It's not over yet, but I believe it can already be considered a substantial success." - Lexie Matheson ONZM, Theatreview (review for IN/TENSE by Alexa Wilson)
The 2024 programme (assembled by Guest Curator Moss Te Ururangi Patterson) was guided by the theme of 'Whenua Wāhi: Stories of Land & Place', putting an emphasis on the significance of place and creating a platform for dance creatives to convey the essence of their ancestral landscapes. On speaking about his role in this year's festival, Moss said, "It was truly humbling to be invited to curate Tempo 2024 and I've thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with our artists, audiences, partners, and patrons to create a beautiful programme this year. Events like Tempo open the floor for voices to rise, allowing deep listening to flourish."
During the first week of the festival, our stages at Q were filled with work by Tūrongo Collective, Anne Plamondon, Royal New Zealand Ballet, BalletCollective Aotearoa, Atamira Dance Company, Louise Pōtiki Bryant, the Northern Dance Network, Rewa Fowles, and Renee Wiki.
Above: hero image for each of this year's 12 Tempo shows
During week two, the talent continued with The New Zealand Dance Company, Marrugeku, Alexa Wilson, IDCO, Projekt Team, Rebecca Jensen, and Footnote New Zealand Dance with Kota Yamazaki. The array of artists and performers from both weeks spanned across a wide range of movement genres, representing many different cultures and countries from all around the globe. It was seriously a delight to witness and blew away audiences, industry members, and theatre reviewers alike.
In addition to the 12 live shows at Q, Tempo also delivered a range of free offerings including public performances, movement workshops, wellbeing sessions, community hui, and online dance films - so many fabulous opportunities for dancers and dance enthusiasts to come together! We can't wait to see what the future holds for Tempo Dance Festival and in the meantime, we're left feeling uplifted and full of inspiration as the movement and creativity from the past two weeks lingers on in our whare.
"As to the dancing? Perfection. Nothing more needs to be said." - Andrew Whiteside (review for TWO by Royal New Zealand Ballet and BalletCollective Aotearoa)
Above: Festival opening night pōwhiri in Q Rangatira | Image by Asher Milgate
