Aotearoa Ballet Collective’s Koolish Zein is a generous and compelling evening of dance, offering audiences a rare chance to witness fresh choreographic works shaped by classical technique. Five distinct pieces make up the programme, curated around a selection of compositions from renowned Wellington composer John Psathas.
The night opens with Mentacide, a taut piece grappling with psychological captivity. Joshua Linkhorn and Callum Phipps interplay solos and duos dressed in a hoodie, the universal clothing item of Gen Z, as the vehicle for their interaction. It’s a great start to the show, with jarring music driving their sweeping movements and partnering.
Atalanta follows, drawing inspiration from myth yet reimagined through a modern lens. The choreography shimmers with fast footwork and daring lifts, suggesting both the power and speed of the huntress. A highlight is the playful mash-up of movements and the plucking of imaginary golden apples from Atalanta’s story. Kyoka Takahashi shines.
One of the evening’s standout moments arrives with Towards Midnight, performed by a vibrant ensemble of Tawa College dancers to the backdrop of Infinite Mind, which features Noam Chomsky’s voice recounting the dire threats to humanity and the Doomsday Clock. Their youth and innocence add a layer of dread, yet these young dancers embody hope, resilience, and possibility. Bravo!
Relentless is exactly what its name suggests—a short but powerful piece highlighting the plight of women over decades, which continues today. The three women are fierce and passionate about the message, ably supported by the men.
The evening culminates with the title work, Koolish Zein, in which Zoe White delivers a captivating solo performance that builds from introspective, robotic movements into a frenetic, swirling crescendo. Her dancing is both precise and free, with a lightness that belies the complexity of the choreography.
The ultimate star of the evening was Naoto Segawa’s performance of John Psathas’ music. Playing several different percussion instruments across the evening, his patterns and textures thread through the dancers’ bodies like rippling water.
Overall, Koolish Zein is a triumph for Aotearoa Ballet Collective, who continue to forge an important pathway for both dancers and audiences eager to see classical dance in more accessible formats. Congratulations to Turid Revfeim and co. for their tireless efforts in keeping this alive.