Dancing in the streets (video)

Central-city drivers were treated to a free show as dancers pranced and somersaulted in the middle of Auckland’s Spaghetti Junction last week.

The dance performance, called Rush Hour, was created and produced by Sophie Wilson as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival.

“I wanted the girls to perform in a public place, like a footpath where the point of the exercise was to draw attention to the space,” she said.

“A public space is something anyone can use and this specific area was a place that many people could see.”

The location for the performance was the unused city-bound Nelson Street off-ramp, where dancers were wearing white, full-bodied overalls.

This prompted a variety of responses from passing pedestrians and drivers.

Dancer Charlotte Helliwell experienced some difficult responses to the performance, which included an egg being thrown.

“Overall we had really good interactions with the audience but there’s always a bit of negative abuse.

“People were curious…we even had people ask us if we were on drugs.”

Wilson says the kind of audience was ideal for the performance because it allowed them to interact with the dancers.

“The audience was really transient and this helped because people were always passing by.

“People were able to wave, ask questions and yell out at the girls, which would not happen in a theatre-type environment.”

Dancers volunteered their services for four performances over two weeks.

Helliwell says that she doesn’t need to be paid to dance.

“I dance because it’s my passion and it’s a form of expression where I don’t have to say anything.

“Ultimately, I work to support myself so I am able to dance. Performing is exhilarating and as long as I am dancing, things are fine.”

Wilson says any feedback is good feedback because it raises awareness of dancing in Auckland, as well as awareness for the space the girls were dancing on.

“Overall the performance was successful and we had a terrific response,” she said.

Rush Hour had its last performance on March 20.

Watch on-the-street rehearsals here.