Say CHEESE

Java Dance Theatre brings a little messy, fun immersive dance in The Creamery. Photo/Tom Hoyle

The slightly messy, hilarious and enchanting The Creamery will thrill dance fans when Java Dance Theatre recreates the art of cheese making at Baycourt this month.

The Creamery is the third part in the Wellington-based Java Dance's artisan series after bread and wine.

Artistic director Sacha Copland says the idea came from brainstorming universal basic human needs.

"Breadmaking was quite a good metaphor for that need - out of it comes feasts, festivals and happiness and I wanted to capture the way that people celebrate because that is very dance-orientated ...through something that feels very familiar and tactile as well.

"It connects you to something more simple in a way."

The "immersive dance" takes the audience into the world of cheese making where two artisan sides compete to win the audience's favour.

The dancers get messy, Sacha says, but the audience won't. "It's a bit like Romeo and Juliet in a way, with two competing sides aside the fence. There's one character who has a crush but animosity builds up between the two sides.

"The audience basically feels immersed like they're in a creamery. And they get to taste fresh ricotta that we make."

A reviewer has described it as "a highly experiential hour of varying textures and tastes, much like a cheese board".

There are three dancers and two musicians (The Creamery is set to live music) and everyone acts, dances and sings.

The audience will see the ancient technique of making cheese as they follow the story.

Sacha travelled to France to learn cheese making first hand.

Java Dance Theatre has also created a kids' cheesy story set in a farmyard scene.

Cheese is geared towards children aged 3-10 years. It features animals (an Art inspired cow), milk jets, flying hay bales, dancing milkmaids and yodelling goat herders.

The children will love the cheesemaking journey, Sacha says, and marvel atthe stringiness of their "cheese".

the fine print
■ What: Tauranga Arts Festival's The Creamery and Cheese
■ Where: Baycourt X Space
■ When: Wednesday, October 25.
Cheese at 1pm; The Creamery 7pm.