whY Chromozone

Q Theatre, Rangatira, Auckland

07/10/2017 - 08/10/2017

TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL 2017

Production Details



What does it mean to be male? What does masculinity look like? And what does that one Y chromosome have to do with it anyway?

This festival favourite returns to question our perceptions of male identity through daring new performances by exciting choreographers and acclaimed dance artists.

whY Chromozone showcases the vivid spectrum of masculinity in all its many forms – from traditional to more experimental – challenging the binary concept of gender, exploring expressions of masculinity and celebrating how we see ourselves in society.

Expect raw power, sensuality, cheekiness, strength and subtle vulnerability in a showcase like no other.

Featuring new works by the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Loughlan Prior, gold medal hip-hop champs IDCO, South Auckland performance collective COVEN and many more surprises. This showcase offers a programme of brilliant creative force which will definitely leave you wanting more … full of vitality, variety and powerful performances.” Theatreview

I’ve had a lot of conversations about whY Chromozone this year.  Most of them have revolved around the slight alteration to the title of the show (from Y Chromozone previously).  But even prior to that I get “Um, you do know that’s not how you spell chromosome, right? 

Yes, yes I know.  (As a former regional spelling bee champ, it has never quite sat right with me either to be honest.)  But it’s a play on words and we all love those.  The title was inherited from when the show first premiered in 2010 while Tempo was still based at TAPAC.  Y Chromozone was originally conceived by then Artistic Director Mary Jane O’Reilly to be a showcase of male dancers – a novelty, of sorts, whose point of difference was that in an art form traditionally dominated by females, here was a show with only men in it (that wasn’t a strip show).

So why the whY?  I wanted to ask WHY this year.  Why do we have a show like this in the festival?  Why are we so concerned about being able to identify someone as either male or female?  Why does that Y chromosome matter?  (And does it really matter?)

The artists in this year’s show embody a vast representation of different gender identities.  Their work shows us many ways of being human by demonstrating strength, vulnerability, humour, sensuality and power, challenging our notions of binary gender stereotypes and celebrating our connectivity to other human beings.  That’s what I wanted this show to be about.

I’m hugely inspired by all of the artists in this year’s show.  I salute their spirit, bravery and dedication to their craft. 
Nga mihi nui.

-Carrie Rae Cunningham, Tempo Artistic Director


BLUE BIRD
Choreographed and Performed by CHRISTOPHER OLWAGE
Music: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray

IDCO NEXT GENERATION - SWAGGANAUTS
Choreographed by JACKSON TUARAE, GABRIEL SUTTON, CARLOS SKIPPER & THE BOYS
Performed by WILLIAM TUARAE, FAOLAN OKAN, LOUIS DAN TYRELL, MARQUISE ROGERS, JOVI NGO, REMY SUTTON, LUKA CAMPBELL, HENK TOMPKINS, BEN LOWE

JOE CARVALHO, CYR WHEEL
Choreographed and performed by JOE CARVALHO
Music: A Little Walk to Nowhere by Brain Damage

LARK
Choreographed by LOUGHLAN PRIOR
Performed by SIR JON TRIMMER and WILLIAM FITZGERALD
Music: The Lark, Andante Quasi Recitativo by Michael Glinka; Italian Polka for Piano Duet by Sergei Rachmaninoff; Petite Suite Pour Piano; VI Serenade, Allegretto by Alexander Borodin

?^?  
Choreographed by CYPRIS “FANG” AFAKASI
Performed by COVEN – CYPRIS “FANG” AFAKASI and GABRIEL “PRINCESS” HALATOA
Music: Rude Bitch by J R Neutron; Are You a Woman by Ru Paul 

NOT
Choreographed and Performed by OLIVER CARRUTHERS (UNITEC)
Music: Tourists by Nicolas Jaar
Knot a frayed. 

ASMODEUS
Choreographed and Performed by JAY CLEMENT (The Dust Palace)
Music: Arsonist’s Lullaby by Hozier

ENOUGH
Choreographed by val smith
Performed by they/them/theirs
Music: Anonymous vaporwave track pirated from a gay porn site; Enough Is Enough – Donna Summer & Barbara Streisand; Am I Not Pretty Enough - Kasey Chambers; Never Enough – The Cure; Never Enough – One Direction; Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche ModeDon’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson ; Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Tammi Terrell & Marvin Gaye

ME, MYSELF BUT WHY?
Choreographed by STEPHEN HIDALGO
Performed by STEPHEN HIDALGO and STEPHEN HIDALGO
Music: Too Good at Goodbyes by Sam Smith; My World Instrumental by Tech N9ne; Come Gangsta Instrumental by Tech N9ne; Holy Ghost (Helicopter Showdown & Sluggo Remix) by Messinian 

THIS IS A THING
Choreographed and Performed by CONNOR MASSEURS (NZ School of Dance)
Music: Freefallin Dreams (Katuchat Remix)  by Saje

PEASANT PAS MALE VARIATION FROM GISELLE ACT 1
Choreographed by CORALLI/PERROT
Performed by DANE HEAD (Mt Eden Ballet Academy)
Music by Adolphe Adam

OUTCAST
Choreographed by FENJAY SAPON 
Performed by CHARLIE THOMAS, RAISEDINLAND IOSE, JHAWAN RAIKA-MORGAN, OLIVER CARRUTHERS (UNITEC)
Music: Paul Young 

LIBERATE-HE
Choreographed and Performed by EARL DE CASTRO
Music: Head by Johnny Rain; I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters
Liberate-He is a Waacking & Heels/Fem performance


Dance ,


70 mins

Showcasing a spectrum of masculinity

Review by Sue Cheesman 08th Oct 2017

whY Chromozone iss crammed full of entertainment, variety and powerful performances by all throughout the thirteen mainly solo works.

The night does as suggested in the programme showcase the spectrum of masculinity in all its many forms, from traditional to more experimental, opening up the questioning of identity and gender. At intermittent intervals throughout the show, film clips snapshot the performers’/choreographers’ viewpoints about what masculinity means to them. The change of name from Y to whY is a provocation from artistic director of Tempo Carrie Rae Cunningham.   

The many solos capture contrasting subject matter, style and movement vocabulary.

Not, a solo work by Oliver Carruthers, begins the performance in a curious way, seeing him being carried onto the stage tangled up in a knot-like shape. From this position he opens out and dances in a seamless liquid motion as the movement traces through his body only to be recaptured and returned to the knot shape at the end.

Another contemporary solo Me, Myself but Why by Stephan Hidalgo is a very clever and witty piece in conversation with his other self on screen. The result is a hilarious and touching banter between the two spliced with odd dance move or two. 

Enough choreographed by Val Smith sees us witness two very hairy creatures, one in white and black and the other in vivid red, process across the diagonal, one leading the other, dropping connection and levels and eventually rolling slowly off stage.

In the range of solo works the following you might associate with the circus more than dance, however there is a considerable blurring of boundaries in relation to categorizing these days.  Cyr Wheel performed by Joe Carnalho is mesmerising to watch as the wheel spins faster and Joe balances in different ways – one hand one leg, two hands on the rim increasing the difficulty all the time.  Captivated by the whirl of motion you can hear the audience gasp as he is spinning inside the giant hoop which is almost parallel to the ground.

Waacking was certainly central to the solo Liberate-He, performed and choreographed by Earl De Castro.  Dressed only in jeans and killer back stiletto-heeled ankle boots, the performer strutted his often circular movement vocabulary directly at us embodying the music as he performs. A stunning finish sees the backdrop change to white with his movement in stark relief, fore-grounded.

In sharp contrast, the youngest performer, fourteen-year-old Dane Head, dances a traditional ballet solo well, with all the expected male turns and leaps crammed into a very short time. 

A welcome contrast comes in the form of Outcast, choreographed by Fenjay Sapon and danced superbly by Charlie Thomas, Raisedinland Iose, Jhawan Raika-Morgan and Oliver Carruthers from Unitec.  This piece is well structured and played with a number of deferring relationships between the four men – one versus three, two versus two, all together. There is a wide range of vocabulary used to good effect and of particular note are the rhythmic section and the lifts and subsequent resolutions.

The oldest performer. Sir Jon Trimmer, now 78, performs Lark with William Fitzerald. This delightful work full of humour and expertly performed duet depicts the camaraderie between the two men, one older and one younger.  This is an endearing piece, skillfully crafted by choreographer Loughlan Prior with gestural arm motifs cleverly manipulated throughout the piece set sitting in chairs. A satisfying ending sees the men return to sitting in their respective chairs with a simple outstretched single leg gesture.

Blue Bird, performed and choreographed by Christopher Olwage, is a burlesque solo. Christopher’s glamorous appearance is replete with luscious feather wings and a giant tail as well as wearing a sparkly blue sequenced midriff. He flutters and twirls around the stage on point and concludes almost naked in the dying swan pose.

Nine young performers from IDCO Next Generation perform with all the hallmarks and swagger of this street dance style, making their mentors proud. There is a youthful exuberance about this crew as they take up the challenge to perform with precision, strong formations and split-second timing coupled well with individual showmanship. IDCO Next Generation finish whY Chromzone and their piece by throwing their white peaked caps in the air with gusto.

All performers return to the stage for the final bow, having collectively shared their passion, skill, agility, strength, humour and strong physicality as well as providing a spectrum of masculinity for us to ponder. I did notice that the hairy creatures did not reveal their gender in the bow. 

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Showcasing a spectrum of masculinity

Review by Sue Cheesman 08th Oct 2017

whY Chromozone is crammed full of entertainment, variety and powerful performances throughout the thirteen mainly solo works.

The night does as suggested in the programme showcase the spectrum of masculinity in all its many forms, from traditional to more experimental, opening up the questioning of identity and gender. At intermittent intervals throughout the show, film clips snapshot the performers’/choreographers’ viewpoints about what masculinity means to them. The change of name from Y to whY is a provocation from artistic director of Tempo Carrie Rae Cunningham.   

The many solos capture contrasting subject matter, style and movement vocabulary.

Not, a solo work by Oliver Carruthers, begins the performance in a curious way, seeing him being carried onto the stage tangled up in a knot-like shape. From this position he opens out and dances in a seamless liquid motion as the movement traces through his body only to be recaptured and returned to the knot shape at the end.

Another contemporary solo Me, Myself but Why by Stephan Hidalgo is a very clever and witty piece in conversation with his other self on screen. The result is a hilarious and touching banter between the two spliced with odd dance move or two. 

Enough choreographed by Val Smith sees us witness two very hairy creatures, one in white and black and the other in vivid red, process across the diagonal, one leading the other, dropping connection and levels and eventually rolling slowly off stage.

In the range of solo works the following you might associate with the circus more than dance, however there is a considerable blurring of boundaries in relation to categorizing these days.  Cyr Wheel performed by Joe Carnalho is mesmerising to watch as the wheel spins faster and Joe balances in different ways – one hand one leg, two hands on the rim increasing the difficulty all the time.  Captivated by the whirl of motion you can hear the audience gasp as he is spinning inside the giant hoop which is almost parallel to the ground.

Waacking was certainly central to the solo Liberate-He, performed and choreographed by Earl De Castro.  Dressed only in jeans and killer back stiletto-heeled ankle boots, the performer strutted his often circular movement vocabulary directly at us embodying the music as he performs. A stunning finish sees the backdrop change to white with his movement in stark relief, fore-grounded.

In sharp contrast, the youngest performer, fourteen-year-old Dane Head, dances a traditional ballet solo well, with all the expected male turns and leaps crammed into a very short time. 

A welcome contrast comes in the form of Outcast, choreographed by Fenjay Sapon and danced superbly by Charlie Thomas, Raisedinland Iose, Jhawan Raika-Morgan and Oliver Carruthers from Unitec.  This piece is well structured and played with a number of deferring relationships between the four men – one versus three, two versus two, all together. There is a wide range of vocabulary used to good effect and of particular note are the rhythmic section and the lifts and subsequent resolutions.

The oldest performer. Sir Jon Trimmer, now 78, performs Lark with William Fitzerald. This delightful work full of humour and expertly performed duet depicts the camaraderie between the two men, one older and one younger.  This is an endearing piece, skillfully crafted by choreographer Loughlan Prior with gestural arm motifs cleverly manipulated throughout the piece set sitting in chairs. A satisfying ending sees the men return to sitting in their respective chairs with a simple outstretched single leg gesture.

Blue Bird, performed and choreographed by Christopher Olwage, is a burlesque solo. Christopher’s glamorous appearance is replete with luscious feather wings and a giant tail as well as wearing a sparkly blue sequenced midriff. He flutters and twirls around the stage on point and concludes almost naked in the dying swan pose.

Nine young performers from IDCO Next Generation perform with all the hallmarks and swagger of this street dance style, making their mentors proud. There is a youthful exuberance about this crew as they take up the challenge to perform with precision, strong formations and split-second timing coupled well with individual showmanship. IDCO Next Generation finish whY Chromzone and their piece by throwing their white peaked caps in the air with gusto.

All performers return to the stage for the final bow, having collectively shared their passion, skill, agility, strength, humour and strong physicality as well as providing a spectrum of masculinity for us to ponder. I did notice that the hairy creatures did not reveal their gender in the bow. 

Comments

Raewyn Whyte October 19th, 2017

A further review of whY Chromozone can be found as follows:
 by Jennifer Shennan in Michelle Potter ...on Dancing  (scroll down)

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