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Crows Feet shows

Angle Poise, 2011

Crows Feet perform Angle Poise, a new dance sweetly mocking the school rhythmic gymnastic classes of the 1950s and 1960s. The Crows, playing a group of ageing Russian ex-gymnasts touring New Zealand, contort themselves into seductive angles in ball, hoop and ribbon routines that enchant the audience. Then they show off their skills with some traditional Russian dancing.

How to be a Domestic Goddess—Revue de Cuisine, 2010

Crows Feet Dance Collective turned its attention to the culinary arts in a comic dance work, How to be a Domestic Goddess. The show was performed at the 2010 Wellington Fringe Festival, and won the Fringe Award for Best Dance Show.

Choros, 2009

Choros was the main dance in our tenth anniversary show, performed at the 2009 Wellington Fringe Festival. audience dazed, delighted and disconcerted. Choros is a sensuous Bacchanalian revel danced toView From Olympus by acclaimed New Zealand composer, John Psathas.

Requiem, 2008

Requiem celebrates the memory of Jan Bolwell’s sister Fiona, who died of cancer in 2006.

The emotional power of this dance was obvious during its first season in September 2007, at Wellington Fringe performances in February-March 2008, and in Dunedin Fringe Festival in April 2008.

Requiem, Dunedin, 2008

Guest artists were Dunedin Dance Theatre, with direction and choreography by Shona MacTavish, and Dunedin dancer and educator Suzanne Renner performing her own solo work, with music by local composer Adair Bruce and lyrics by Bill Manhire.

We also ran an open dance workshop. Everyone was welcome, in the spirit of the Crows, who never hold auditions but welcome every woman who wants to dance.

Going for Baroque, 2006

Going for Baroque performed to Handel's Water Music. Living on the edge of Wellington's beautiful harbour, the Crows have taken images from their immediate surroundings and transformed them into a series of dances.

You may catch the odd glimpse of a traditional dance step, but mostly it is a witty, irreverant interpretation of Handel's famous score by sprightly dancers of a certain age. In the hands of guest percussionist Andreas Lepper, water coolers and running taps are also given a starring role.

The Woman's Mag, 2005

"This show is about one of New Zealand women's most important and enduring icons, the New Zealand Woman's Weekly. I picked up the 70th anniversary publication on the magazine and I thought - what a great idea for a dance show. Meg Bailey, a member of the dance group who works at the National Library, took us into the bowels of the building where we spent hours pouring over old copies of the Woman's Weekly."

A motor in my soul, 2005

A dance about the life of Isadora Duncan. 

Jan Bolwell said of the dance:

"I am indebted to the work of American solo dancer Annabelle Gamson, who has spent a lifetime studying the dances of Isadora Duncan."

 

Dear God Degas, 2004

Who says middle aged women can't be ballerinas?

Dear God Degas is based upon the famous ballet paintings of Degas performed to the music of Ligeti. The Crows had particular delight in dressing as nineteenth century ballerinas, and there was some disappointment when others were cast instead as the mothers of the ballerinas.

Director Jan Bolwell danced to role of the ballet master, who can be seen standing in the wings, or conducting class in the studio in the Degas paintings.