What captures our interest when we hear a piece of music? Is it the sound? Or the beat? ...... we think it is the rhythm! So we aim to bring a variety of rhythms that have captured peoples hearts through the generations, making us all ........ a Slave To The Rhythm!

Vast Dance Festival celebrates the combined talents of high school students in the "Top of the South" region.

The annual performance showcases students from Waimea College, Nayland College, Garin College, Motueka High School, Marlborough College for Girls, Marlborough College for Boys, Nelson College and Nelson College for Girls.

The objectives of Vast Dance Festival are to:
- Provide opportunities for high school students to perform in a professional environment
- Celebrate the wide range of styles taught in our region
- Provide a platform for student choreographers to share their work
- Give students practical experience with lighting, front of house, design and stage management responsibilities

For more information visit www.vast.org.nz or Email [email protected]

Come join Simba and his friends as they dance their way round the African Pride Lands.

The ultimate family favourite 'THE LION KING' is presented to you by Rebecca Bignall Academy of Dance. Featuring classics from Disney's soundtrack - 'Can you feel the love tonight' and 'Hakuna Matata.'
The music, the lighting, the costumes and dancing will warm your heart. Featuring some of the country's most promising young Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary dancers. An infectious display of dance and drama all rolled into one!

Due to popular demand tickets are now available for the dress rehearsal on Thursday.

Nelson Academy of Dance is proud to present Swan Lake Act II & divertissements.

The Act II performance will present dance students as the featured performers in this authentic re-staging of the beloved Tchaikovsky ballet. Odette, the White Swan, will be danced by Sarah Lauder and she will be partnered by guest international artist, Jesse Campbell as Prince Siegfried.

Director Gillian Francis has consistently achieved a very high standard from her very creative and talented students (ranging from the ages of 3 to their mid-20s) over many years and this year's programme includes beautiful choreography, costuming, backdrops, lighting and sound. A superb evening featuring Swan Lake Act II and three other ballets is not to be missed!

Contemporary, Classical Ballet, Jazz and Musical Theatre performances are showcased by talented dancers from Fargher Academy of Dance. Stars in their eyes is a fundraising show to enable the performers to travel to the USA in July of 2016 where the dancers are to compete and perform.

PLEASE NOTE THE MATINEE SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED

The Kiss Inside is a kinetic meditation on the search for ecstasy in our human culture. Religion, sex, drugs, extreme physical exertion, sado-masochism and of course dance itself are all explored in this new work by acclaimed New Zealand choreographer and dance laureate Douglas Wright.

The first full-length work since Wright's acclaimed rapt, The Kiss Inside is a succulent work in the surreal dance language for which Wright has become renowned. In it, Wright digs deeply into the workings of the human psyche and lays bare motive and outcome in startling provocative images and exquisite and sometimes frenzied movement.
With a soundtrack including classical Sufi music, Patti Smith and J.S Bach, the dance will be performed by five dancers - Sarah Jayne Howard, Tara Soh, Luke Hanna, Craig Bary and Simone Lapka.

This is a unique opportunity to experience dance theatre at its most potent, challenging and mysterious.

The Kiss Inside is full of little shocks as if touching a live wire by accident. Contains nudity. Approach with caution.

The Kiss Inside is commissioned by New Zealand Festival

"explosive, lyrical and distinctively Wright's own" - -NZ Herald (rapt)

"an important work in divining and inspiring a New Zealand culture" - National Business Review (rapt)

The Youth & Community Trust in association with NelsonUnderage are proud to present Blackout 2 - Nelsons favourite U18'S dance event.

After selling out our first Blackout Dance Party in 2014, the crew from Nelson Underage are back with plans to create two huge zones to tingle your senses, heaps of giveaways including free ice-blocks for everyone, and an epic lineup featuring 10 of NZ's top U18 DJ's.

We're rolling out the red carpet, called in the best photographers across the region and are working overtime to create this night into the BEST night of your life!

PS. Don't forget to wear white as its our theme for the night.

Don't miss out on what will be the most talked about event of the year. We're going BIG, it's going to be CRAZY and we want YOU there with us!

Limited tickets available for purchase via Ticket Direct or listen to The Edge (Nelson 88.8FM) to find out how you can win tickets on The Edge Guest list.

**Please note; BLACKOUT 2 IS STRICTLY AN UNDER 18s EVENT ONLY (13 - 18 YEARS OF AGE).**

Moscow Ballet La Classique return down under with their spectacular masterpiece Sleeping Beauty, ballet's most loved fairy-tale.

Established in 1990 by its current director Elik Melikov, with their internationally acclaimed ballet skills, lavish costumes and magnificent stage sets, the illustrious La Classique takes you on a mystical journey to the fairy-tale world of Princess Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty.

Once upon a time a distant kingdom celebrated the birth of a beautiful princess who they named 'Aurora'. The evil fairy 'Carabosse' casts a spell on the princess meaning she will die from a needle prick. The king banishes all needles from the kingdom. Princess Aurora is dancing with four princes on her 16th birthday. She pricks her finger on a needle hidden in a bouquet of flowers presented to her by the disguised Carabosse. She falls into a deep sleep. The whole kingdom is very sad. Prince Deserea' encounters the lilac fairy where he finds the princess of his dream, Princess Aurora, the sleeping beauty ... he kisses her gently back to life. A fairy-tale party takes place and the whole kingdom joins in the celebration of Princess Aurora's wedding to Prince Deserea.

Moscow Ballet La Classique invites the whole family to an evening of spectacular ballet bringing to life Tchaikovsky's fantastically popular score. In this 2 act fairy-tale performance La Classique will capture the imagination, the passion and the magic of Sleeping Beauty.

Talented dancers from Fargher Academy of Dance showcase their skills in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary and Hip Hop in PERFORM.

From energetic jazz to emotive lyrical pieces, the technique of classical ballet and tap performances from the Tasman Tappers, there's something for everyone. Dancers range from the age of 5 to 18 years and are excited to present PERFORM.

Talented dancers from Fargher Academy of Dance showcase their skills in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary and Hip Hop in PERFORM.

From energetic jazz to emotive lyrical pieces, the technique of classical ballet and tap performances from the Tasman Tappers, there's something for everyone.

Dancers range from the age of 5 to 18 years and are excited to present PERFORM.