AK09 review: Tutus on Tour

Dancers Michael Braun and Brendan Bradshaw from 'Tutus on Tour'. Photo / Supplied

On March 10 they danced in Hamilton, March 11 in Manukau, March 14 in Titirangi and on Sunday night it was Papakura. By the end of the month they will have visited Dargaville, Kerikeri, Whangarei for two nights, Wellsford, Thames, Putaruru, Taupo, Rotorua and Tauranga. In the first week of April they will do Gisborne, Hastings and Palmerston North.

With a delicious and extremely demanding programme of five substantial works, it is a big ask. Everyone is on stage in almost everything. Two snippets of a speeded up film entitled A Day in the Life of the RNZB are needed, as well as the two regular intervals, to make it all possible.

The first curtain goes up on Christopher Hampson's Saltarello, costumed in slinky black and bling: a fast, fabulous and flirty work that displays what the company does best – a contemporary take on classical technique. Papakura was Renee von Stein's night to shine, though some insecure landings from several other dancers initially suggested a slippery floor?

The Holberg Suite is a lyrical and totally classical piece from ballet master Greg Horsman, an exercise in elegance, precision and musicality, with lovely modern tutus in pale blue for the girls and grey tights for the boys. Michael Braun and Katie Hurst-Saxton made for a truly magical moment in the central, demanding duet.

Through to You is another melting duet, from choreographer Andrew Simmons, to Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel. Brendan Bradshaw and Antonia Hewitt danced superbly but this time there was a problem with the lighting – dim beyond atmospheric, with a frequent thick black line of invisibility, that cut them off at the knees.

Garry Stewart's extraordinary Currently Under Investigation demands another total personality change with an exciting blast of hiphop, crumping and rap and shows the company's wild – but far from undisciplined – side.

Then there is Koo Koo Ka Choo! What a blast, with Beatles music given an alt-country twist from vocalist Eva Prouse and choreography from company dancers Brendan Bradshaw and Catherine Eddy. On opening night in Wellington, way back in February, Koo Koo failed to spark. On Sunday night in Papakura it was utterly gorgeous and totally rivetting.

We loved you Rowan and Alessia, Daniel and Alana, Brendan and Ingrid, and again, Michael and Katie.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!