DANCE AT THE ADDAMS’ MANSE

FULL FLIGHT: Having returned to her home town of Gisborne, dancer, dance teacher and choreographer Anita Zwart, could well be making a Halloween flight to rehearsals for The Addams Family, a Musical Theatre Gisborne production that has presented her with challenges and a richly textured palette to work with. Picture supplied

The shape of the stage is not a square, says choreographer Anita Zwart enigmatically, of the set design for The Addams Family.

Zwart is an experienced ballet, jazz and contemporary dancer, and dance teacher, but Musical Theatre Gisborne's (MTG) production of The Addams Family is the first theatrical production she has choreographed.

Instead of a bare space in which dancers perform, Zwart must factor in not only Graeme Nicoll's stage design of a spooky, two-storey house, staircase, but a live, on-stage band, actors and a chorus of Addams family ancestors from across the ages.

“It's been a real challenge,” says Zwart.

“I have never before had to work around such a large and complicated — albeit amazing — set and scenery, nor had such a large creative team to work with. The tango dance was particularly challenging and out of my usual comfort zone.

“I'm used to having the whole stage to work with. But it's a good challenge. It opens up possibilities. With the set you have more things to work and play around with. Doors open and close, you have scenery, a balcony — things you can play with.”

While most dance numbers feature just one character, the Addams ancestors function as a kind of chorus that often supports the main cast.

A chorus is a convention that began with classical Greek theatre in which a group of performers described and commented on the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation. The chorus could also be part of the main action — as with The Addams Family.

Each one of the ancestors is his or her own character though and are characterised, in part, by the age they belonged to. The family line reaches back to an ancestral caveman.

“In the dancing they have their own characters and quirks,” says Zwart.

In fact, most of the dancing is centred around the ancestors.

“The big numbers tend to mostly have the ancestors in them. The ancestors are often supporting the main cast. They drive the story as well and they're responsible for a lot of mischief in the background.”

A couple of big scenes though involve whole cast choreography.

“It's a squeeze but we make it work,” says Zwart.

“I had to work with the characters — like the grandma whose dancing isn't that athletic — and work around the story.”

Growing up in Gisborne, Zwart learned ballet, jazz and contemporary dance at the Nadine Antoinette School of Dance.

Her first experience with choreography was as a teenager when she choreographed a duo with a friend for local dance competitions.

While studying physiotherapy at Otago University, Zwart also took on some dance papers and landed a part-time job as a dance teacher.

After graduating in 2014 she earned the Royal Academy of Dance's certificate in ballet teaching and taught at a dance studio in Masterton. She returned to Gisborne in 2018 and last year made her musical theatre debut when she was part of the chorus for MTG's production of Mamma Mia.

She now teaches ballet at the Nadine Antoinette School of Dance, and has her own dance school, On Pointe Dance Company, where she teaches contemporary and jazz dance.

Zwart also coaches Aerial Silk Acrobatics classes at the Gisborne Gymnastics Club which had some wins recently at the inaugural New Zealand Aerial Silk Youth Championships in Nelson. Right now, though, Zwart is focused on The Addams Family

“The dance ensemble numbers are looking really good,” she says.

“I'm proud of both my choreography and the cast for working so hard.”

The Addams Family, directed by Belinda Campbell, Lawson Field Theatre, December 11-19. Tickets from i-SITE or ticketek