With 14 years' experience on World of Wearable Arts shows, choreographer Malia Johnston has the confidence to create contemporary dance that breaks the mould - and the show she's bringing to Tauranga is no exception.
Cudo (Latin for beat or forge) takes urban contemporary dance to a new level with sound and visuals that draw the audience into the minds of the beat makers and beat breakers.
Tap-dancing feet, for instance, see the dancers create and react to the live music, while manipulated real-time visuals allow the cast to expand on choreographic concepts and create a conversation between mediums.
Acrobatic, robotic and liquid hip-hop hybrid movement pushes the boundaries and delivers an exploration of the vast possibilities of how bodies move in space and time.
Cudo comes to Tauranga fresh from the Tempo Dance Festival in Auckland and features some of New Zealand's top urban and contemporary dancers including dancer- choreographer Matthew Moore and members of internationally acclaimed hip-hop crew Identity Dance Company. The Bradas team from Identity, including one of the three well- known Cesan brothers, last year won historic back-to-back gold medals at the Hip Hop International World championships.