The opening stage is set with a tall scarlet banner which flows, bloodlike, from the rafters and bears the names, of relatives of the company one suspects, lost to the savageries of war.

The Kiss Inside, an exposition on the primal search for ecstasy, finds him in a new frame of mind though, with an underlying wryness to his observations, anger mitigated, the passion wiser.

Since this is the first time New York dance company Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet has come to New Zealand, members can be forgiven for not being sunsmart.

The high school teacher producing the country's top dance scholars says the secret is treating the teenagers like "mini-professionals".

Katy Perry's widely mocked Left Shark nailed his brief, according to a Super Bowl choreographer.

Northern Ballet's noted production of Charles Dickens' famous tale of curmudgeonly greed, grim reflection and a joyous redemption in Act III has all the charm of a very traditional Christmas card.

Rushes from the multi-million-dollar Kiwi feelgood flick Born to Dance have been sent to the American film market this week to whet the appetite of would-be-buyers.

Sydney Dance Company's seminal and celebrated work begins with a simple representation of its title. A couple sit to one side (2), a solitary figure stands to the other (One) and the rest of the company (the Others) take centre stage.

Two richly developed productions from the closing weekend of Tempo 2014 leave memorable images behind them.

There is no complacent sitting back comfortably to watch Alexa Wilson's explosive and challenging choreography The Status of Being, made on the company's very new quintet of five impressive young dancers.

Theirs is an unlikely story: a bunch of senior citizens from Waiheke — ranging in age from 65 to 95 — who formed a hip-hop dance crew then went to the world champs in Vegas. They talk to Alan Perrott about moonwalking, twerking and feeling alive again.

More than 500 dancers descended on Auckland's North Shore for the inaugural DanceBrandz Nationals competition yesterday.

Thousands of Kiwis will witness the dazzling performers in Cirque du Soleil's Totem in its five-week Auckland season.

The opening work in this most mesmerising of programmes begins with a filmed section projected on to a large wooden cube which contains and catapults the dancers into action.

Johan Kobborg's Les Lutins, still in classical mode, cavorts and struts its sweetly saucy stuff to the live virtuoso violin of Benjamin Baker and Michael Pansters on piano.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Allegro line-up features a love story with a twist.