With the year barely underway, members of Hagley Dance Company were thrown their first challenge – create and perform your own works in front of a public audience.

This is not an easy task but the team rallied and set about choosing their locations. In Situ is primarily a season set outside of a typical performance space and so the dancers used many open-air areas that make up our home, Te Puna Wai O Waipapa. These included The Open Stage steps, outside the Chilton House cottage, a garden (apologies to groundskeeper Freddie) and even the climbing wall in a finale choreographed by Director Naressa Gamble in collaboration with Fitness tutor and Outdoor Education teacher for Hagley, Dave Hazelwood.

The weather held and the reviewer commented, “The imagination and engagement shown in their performances suggest that this could be a vintage year for the Company”.

You can read the full review here.