Grounded, striking and impressive cross of contemporary & ballet- a beautiful celebration of 'home' - Royal New Zealand Ballet

“The beautiful work Chrysalis, choreographed by Shaun James Kelly, provides the highlight of the evening for me in the striking pas-de-deux work, particularly the performance of Kate Kadow and Calum Gray at the end of the piece. It has several moments of pure magic. The work is choreographically inventive and upbeat, with gorgeous lifted back-arches, arched-back jetés, skittish floor slides and even fouettes as the signature vocabulary. The strength shown by the men of the company is particularly impressive. Drawing on an eclectic range of influences and the Philip Glass music from the album Metamorphosis and Other Works, Kelly alludes to the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis as a symbol for his own “journey of self-discovery”. Layer upon layer of the exquisite costumes designed by Rory William Docherty are shed as the true selves of the dancers emerge, clad only in body-hugging unitards. It provides effective imagery, which is lit with a sensitive design by Daniel Wilson.”

Reviewed by Jenny Stevenson