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Taking its cue from nature, the Body Festival practically begs people from all ages to spring forth and dance.  This 24-day showcase incorporates the best professional and amateur dancers from around the country as well as providing more than 80 opportunities for everyone to have a go at a plethora of dance styles.

This year’s festival is the largest in its nine-year history and Festival Director, Adam Hayward says after its cancellation last year, he has been unwavering in his desire to showcase this exceptional dance and physical theatre to the people of Christchurch.

“We want to come back with a vengeance; we need this to lift Christchurch up from the devastation of the earthquakes.”

So from 23 September to 16 October, get ready to let your senses be swept up in the drama, sensuality and rhythm of dance, music, other arts and sport acts!  The Body Festival is not all about watching - it’s about doing too. 

This year’s Body Festival kicks off with Garden Variety, an artistic, visual and theatre spectacular preceding seven key rugby matches for Rugby World Cup. Adjacent to the rugby Fanzone in Hagley Park, Garden Variety is a mingling of arts, sports and cultural acts on a scale never seen before in Christchurch.  From the Speed Dancing Stage, to Crazy Crash Pad Rugby, to the Court Jesters and Christchurch’s Symphony Orchestra floating upon the lake. 

Within the main body of the festival, there are over 20 dance performances and more than 80 workshops.  Twenty one of the workshops form the  ‘Have-A-Go’ series, supported by the Heart Foundation and the Mental Health Foundation, who have partnered with the festival to promote the social, health and wellbeing benefits of dance. 

The Body Festival will be performing in community halls, schools, theatres, and parks across the city and for the first time in Rolleston and Lincoln. 

 “Where else could you go to workshops, like the African dance workshop, and get South African dancers of that caliber teaching you dance? One aim of this festival is to provide access to some of our best dance in all shapes and forms as an audience member, whilst also providing the opportunity to be an active participant,” Hayward adds.

Allow your senses to evolve, be enticed, come and embrace yourself in dance, music and movement. 

For more information about the 2011 Body Festival, see www.thebody.co.nz