Weekly Sacre Update #6

Welcome to your weekly update for

Sacre: The Auckland Dance Project

Proudly part of the REAL New Zealand Festival

For more information about the project, visit the APO website.

What’s Been Happening

The past week has been busy with back-to-back rehearsals leaving students simultaneously inspired, elated and exhausted. Those within the Sacre camp have been full of praise for the effort, energy and talent shown by the dancers.

• Music and dance workshops held earlier in the year have really paid off. Royston Maldoom has been so impressed by how prepared the students were when he arrived, and their progress over the past seven days, that he has cancelled a number of this week’s rehearsals.

Sally Markham, Sacre’s coordinator, was also impressed with the dancers during rehearsals last week, saying that “the work is thrilling; it’s absolutely lovely”. The concentration and focus of the students has not gone unnoticed: “A young boy’s tooth fell out during the primary school rehearsal today and he just kept on going! That’s dedication,” Sally exclaimed.

• Ann Dewey and Moss Patterson continue to play key roles in rehearsals by drawing on Maori mythology to infuse the choreography with a uniquely New Zealand flavour. Although the pair are attending rehearsals at different schools, their individual styles are complementary – this may have something to do with the fact that, in his youth, Moss trained under Ann’s watchful eye.

Blue with rage, I mean enthusiasm

• Enthusiasm has been oozing out of the dancers during the past week of rehearsals. So much so that the 64 metres of blue fabric has been ripped. The culprit shall remain nameless (you know who you are!). All is well, though, as the fabric can be repaired by one of our talented seamstresses.

Wild boar tusks anyone?

• We are on the hunt (ahem) for wild boar/pig tusks. If you know where to locate a pair, please leave a comment on the Sacre blog. Details of their use will be revealed shortly.

Volunteers

• We are looking for volunteers to help supervise and assist with logistics during Sacre’s production week. If you or anyone you know would like more information, have a look at Volunteer Net or The Big Idea. Alternatively, contact volunteer supervisor Natasha Pearce directly: tash.pearce@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Sacre Blog
• With rehearsals taking place six days a week from now until 14 October, be sure to check out the Sacre blog regularly for updates and sneak peeks. If you have any great images or news, send it to HelenS@apo.co.nz with ‘Sacre blog’ in the subject line.

Purchase tickets from THE EDGE

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Child/Student/Community Service Card holders: $30, $20, $10