Angle and poise from Crows
Mocking the school rhythmic gymnastic classes of the 1950s and 1960s, in Angle Poise the Crows play a group of ageing Russian ex-gymnasts on a tour of New Zealand with their hoop, balls and ribbon routines.
Wellington poet and member of Crow, Jo Thorpe, says the concept for a send-up of the world of gymnastics came from an old magazine article featuring the Belarusian rhythmic gymnastic team modelling extraordinary multi-coloured fashion clothing.
“We thought we’d have a bit of a laugh with the clothing and the routines,” Thorpe says. “And what we can’t do with our own bodies we’ve got life size puppets doing for us.”
Crows Feet was born in 1999 as an all-women all comers dance group. It’s a mix of experienced dancers, dance teachers and beginners aged between 40 and 71. Thorpe says it helped boost a trend of older dancers continuing to dance.
“We started very much as a dance group where we just wanted to dance together and not perform. We wanted to exercise, express ourselves through dance and it have a wonderful social time. However, every year for 11 years we’ve performed a new programme of contemporary dance.”
Thorpe says the Crows have grown from one group started by Wellington director and choreographer Jan Bolwell, into three groups, Crows Two under the direction of Tania Kopytko, and the newly formed Kapiti Crows. Angle Poise is the first time all three groups have combined in one performance.
The Wellington Crows will also engage in some serious dancing to Brahm’s Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes. Crows Two will tackle the tango while Kapiti Crows will perform a dance commentary on local politics.
Angle Poise, Crows Feet Dance Collective, Whitireia Performance Centre, August 5-7.










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