Thirty years ago, Black Grace and Neil Ieremia burst onto the New Zealand dance scene with a debut that stunned audiences with its balance of raw physicality and finesse.

Now, to celebrate the company’s remarkable journey, Black Grace brings to Christchurch a double-bill programme that is itself remarkable – a new work by Neil Ieremia alongside Paul Taylor’s ‘Esplanade’, one of the most iconic and celebrated choreographies in modern dance history and 50 years old this year.

The dance has previously been performed in New Zealand only once, in 1999 by the Paul Taylor Dance Company itself.

Including ‘Esplanade’ in the programme points to Neil’s deep personal connection to Taylor’s work. Renowned New Zealand choreographer Douglas Wright shaped his style while dancing for the Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York in the 1980s. In turn, Neil soaked up that inspiration while working with Wright from the age of 20.

Neil Ieremia’s new work ‘If Ever There Was a Time’ completes the bill. It’s to do with universal truths, he says. “It’s about the things that we have in common and the things that connect us rather than the things that divide us. At times it’s a desperate lament, a pulsating charge, a soaring prayer of praise. This is my person protest, my quiet revolution.”

Isaac Theatre Royal, 25-26 November 2025

isaactheatreroyal.co.nz