Rep Talk: Repertory's choreographer Harmony May shares wealth of knowledge

Harmony May. Photo / Dee Brough

Talking to Harmony May, choreographer for Peter Pan, the Pantomime, it occurred to me that here was a goldmine of experience and expertise garnered over years of dancing, singing and acting.

Harmony's family emigrated to the United Kingdom, accompanying her aunt, Peggy Wallis, who'd won a scholarship to study at the Sadlers Wells School of Ballet, when Harmony was very young.

Upon completion of her studies Miss Peggy opened her own school of dance, taking her 4-year-old niece, Harmony, as one of her first pupils.

Later, the family moved to live in the US where the dancing lessons continued. When Harmony first moved back to New Zealand as a teenager the dancing lessons were discontinued but she returned to the US to live with Miss Peggy at the age of 20 and Harmony's dancing lessons resumed.

When she finally settled in Whanganui Harmony took dancing lessons with Valerie Wyman-Weston and Sharon Underwood.

"I was very lucky," Harmony says. "I had three really good teachers."

How did she go about devising dances for Peter Pan?

"I looked up Google and YouTube to teach myself the correct stances for fencing. We had to have that right for the big fight scene," she says.

Set to music the fight scene was exciting theatre.

Had she enjoyed being our Peter Pan choreographer?

"Yes, they were a great cast to work with. I'd only have to ask them to do something once and they got it. They followed instructions to the letter."

Harmony loved being our choreographer at Rep Theatre and we're proud of the dances she organised so I think that's a 'win-win'. Hopefully we'll be doing it again sometime. Thanks Harmony!