Nothing can trumpet the essence of war like the roll of drums and the bugle's call. Ballet and brass may not be obvious soulmates, but this commemoration of the centenary of World War I with the New Zealand Army Band makes dramatic and heartfelt magic of the combination. What better to show the human strength and stretch and ultimate fragility of war than the dancer's perfect body?
New Zealand composers Gareth Farr and Dwayne Bloomfield and choreographers Andrew Simmons and Neil Ieremia bookend the show with stunning new commissions.
First up is the enigmatic Dear Horizon, with Farr including a haunting cello solo, beautifully played by Rolf Gjelsten. Design is by Tracy Grant Lord. The ever lyrical and sensitive Simmons perfectly nuances loss and loneliness, fear and the end of hope and rides the percussive explosions of Farr's score with frenzied leaps of desperation in which Abigail Boyle and Paul Matthews are especially and dynamically breathtaking.
Jiri Kylian's iconic The Soldier's Mass, set to Bohuslav Martinu's gorgeous, sung prayer, follows. Made for 12 male dancers, with waves of dance pungent with the agonising sacrifices of war, the company's "boys" shine - as does Laura Saxon Jones, who joined the ranks on Saturday with a stunning, undercover performance.
