Young Critics 2025 - Belle a Performance of Air

The Young Critics Programme 2025 was an exciting opportunity for budding writers to dive into the world of arts criticism. Facilitated in partnership with Indian Ink, our Young Critics received a workshop session, mentorship, and guidance from Damien Levi of bad apple and Āporo Press and the Festival’s own Tate Fountain. We then invited the Young Critics – chosen for their passion for the performing arts and their eagerness to learn the craft of insightful, engaging, and impactful reviews – to attend the opening night of AAF 2025. Their assignment? A review of Movement of the Human’s multidisciplinary spectacular Belle – A Performance of Air, being shown in Tāmaki Makaurau for the very first time.

We hope you enjoy reading these reviews – we’re sure it’s just the beginning for these Young Critics!

There’s something uniquely comforting about the pre-show atmosphere of a dance performance. On Thursday, 6 March, a gentle hum of conversation and the soft rustle of programmes filled the foyer as the audience headed into Belle — A Performance of Air. I was struck by the genuine warmth of the crowd, noticing old friends running into each other and hearing laughter and conversations around me. It was clear that this was a space of support and shared passion, a feeling that made me even more excited to experience the show.

I took my seat with a mix of excitement and curiosity, having only a basic idea of what the show was about. I’d read the synopsis and watched the promo, but that was it. Then, BAM! The show started with this huge sound, and the curtain slowly crept up as the sound reverberated, building the suspense. Right from the beginning, the music (composed by Eden Mulholland, Anita Clark, and Jolyon Mulholland) was a highlight for me. It just carried me along, like I was floating through the performance.

The smoke and lighting effects were incredible! At times, the stage was split into sections by the thick smoke and lights, which made me think everyone in the audience was seeing something a little different. I loved how I would only catch glimpses of the dancers, like pieces of a puzzle. It felt like I was being pulled into this otherworldly space. Through the thick clouds of smoke beams of light would pierce through, neatly revealing something unseen. Everything just flowed together perfectly.

I was blown away by the dancers. The way they moved together, so gracefully and powerfully, was just amazing. From the sharpness of their work I could tell how much practice and dedication had gone into it. It was like watching a living, breathing piece of art, perfectly synced with the music. I have so much respect for the talent and hard work of choreographer Jennie Ritchie and all of the aerialists and dancers.

At times, the performance broke down the fourth wall, creating a sense of connection between the dancers and the audience, especially when the lights caught our faces. This intriguing dynamic sparked a curiosity about alternative stagings, perhaps in the round or within a more audience-centric space. Regardless, Belle proved to be a truly engaging experience, a sensory wash that encouraged me to surrender to the moment and absorb its every detail.

WOW. The all-female cast of Belle — A Performance of Air, a new dance and aerial show from creative collaborators Malia Johnston, Rowan Pierce and Eden Mulholland, shows just how strong women are.

Katelyn Reed, Imogen Stone, Ellyce Bisson, Rosita Hendry, Kia Jewell, Isabella Estrella, Anu Khupung, Brydie Colquhoun and Hayley Crisp—I was constantly in awe of their strength and their skill. Not only were they dancing, but they were dancing in time with each other while hanging by their wrists—literally.

The opening of the show had me hooked instantly. The excellent use of ambient sound and light (or lack thereof) had me watching intently for what was coming next. Throughout the entire piece the combination of light, haze and projection had me transfixed from moment to moment. A particular moment was when the ensemble was lined up horizontally upstage, each spinning on a device, in time to the tick of the beat. While they executed this with precision, projections were also laid on top of these dancers, layering on limbs, looking like The Da Vinci Code. The combination work of audio-visual designer Rowan Pierce and the choreographer Jenny Ritchie to pull this off was a delight. These elements made me feel like I was in an episode of Black Mirror, suddenly veering between ideas on the future and AI, to the potentials of what an afterlife could look like.

There was a moment when two dancers were up in the air, meters above the ground, dancing in a circle hanging by a thread. Surrounded by haze, they looked like they were dancing in and above the clouds. As more dancers appeared from above the haze, outstretching a bare leg down into our view, we were shown an odd amount of limbs. So many singular legs. A peculiarity I enjoyed yet also felt weird about. A distortion of the human body.

A key moment for me was when a dancer was performing on the stage inside of a ring while another dancer was up in the air, inside what looked like a bubble. As the dancer below spun around and around with such speed, grace and style, the dancer up in the bubble contorted slowly. As my eyes jumped from one dancer to the next, I was amazed by how their opposite paces worked so well together. When the dancer above started to split the bubble and risk all health and safety, I was reminded of just how amazing the human body is. Here she is in a position I can’t even describe, five meters above the ground, risking it all for art, while the dancer below is also spinning so fast and in all directions I don’t know how she isn’t sick. I loved it. Again, thank goodness for Jenny Ritchie and her troupe of women.

The ensemble continued to amaze me with their strength and precision, counterbalancing each other up and over a platform, spinning continuously, pulling themselves up to wild heights around the stage. I became greedy, wanting to see them push even further.

As the play progressed, the music and other elements of the show began to heighten. Live violin, guitar and vocals were a pleasant and unexpected surprise when I had thought Belle was solely an aerial dance show. Adding to the Black Mirror world I felt myself inside, at one point, I thought people were chatting behind me. In fact, recorded conversations echoed around us, getting louder and louder through the speakers and making all my senses come alive in excitement and dread.

The use of haze and projection made me excited for what is in store for the future of live performance, as you really can’t describe how much it heightens a show. As an emerging actor and regular theatre attendee in Aotearoa, I feel like this level of tech is still relatively new for live performance (at least in this country) and the tall poppy syndrome in me was apprehensive about what would happen if a mistake was made. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. No tech mistakes were made. At least not from my naked eye. Flawless.

All together this performance was a gorgeous combination of teamwork—the design, the composition, the visuals, the soundscape, the atmosphere, the performance and the physical skill. Every person involved worked together in harmony to create a beautiful performance of air.

The apple cider I bought before the show was left unfinished by the end. I had no need to intoxicate myself in order to enjoy Belle - A Performance of Air, nor did I have any time to take a break from this masterpiece that was presented to me.

I’ve never done drugs before, but after watching the work of director and producer Malia Johnston and spatial, light, and video designer Rowan Pierce, I was pretty sure I had gone on a total trip. All I could think to myself while watching was, ‘Am I on Earth? How are people floating? Are those even real people?’

I knew Belle was going to be a great performance when I was hooked before the curtain was even fully raised. The eerie music paired with the chilliness of the room was almost frightening. The fog seeping out under the curtains made me feel like I was slowly being teleported somewhere different, somewhere important. I found this was a successful way of captivating the audience; the anticipation had me in a chokehold.

One of my favourite parts was right at the beginning: a soft white light reflected onto the stage floor, creating a beautiful semblance of moonlight shining onto a body of water, setting the tone for the rest of the show.

I’m not one to attend dance or acrobatic shows regularly, so I didn’t know what to expect. You’d therefore understand the shock I felt when I was presented with cosmic imagery that made me feel exceptionally powerful. Watching the performers (aerialists and apparatus specialists Katelyn Reed, Imogen Stone, Ellyce Bisson, and Rosita Hendry; and movement and dance specialists Kia Jewell, Isabel Estrella, Anu Khapung, Brydie Colquhoun, and Hayley Crisp) communicate such raw emotions through movement felt like watching goddesses in a divine heaven. I continued to be in awe when the women used their strength to pull themselves into complex positions and, better yet, they were beautifully graceful with it. I watched each performer closely, especially when transitioning between movements and not a single performer broke the illusion of that divine heaven. It was truly magical. The rehearsals and effort that went into this show were proven to be worth it. I am eager to watch more art from this team.

Another one of my favourite parts of the show was when a performer stood on top of a rectangular box with wheels and ‘sailed’. The orange backlight outlining her silhouette reminded me of a warrior standing on a waka. With the confidence in her bones – her chest lifted proudly, her head moving with curiosity – I couldn’t help but imagine her fighting in a celestial battle. I felt excited about this reference because it felt familiar to Aotearoa, almost like it brought me back to earth.

I love that this show has an all-female cast. I’ve never felt more empowered in my femininity through an art piece. The strength of women will always be sexy to me. They were all confident in their movements and expressions, and I could feel myself gravitating towards them. The way they moved and spun was deeply enchanting and sensual; I’m convinced I was under hypnosis.

I especially loved all the tech that went into Belle. Creating art through multimedia forms is always incredibly magical, which makes sense as to why aerial apparatus designer, aerial choreographer, and costume designer Jenny Ritchie, Pierce, and Johnston were involved in this project. The combination of these artists made the show exceptionally memorable. The creation of parallel skies and dimensions was out of this world – literally. I had no idea projections like the ones in this show could exist.

The music and sound design really glued the show together. The touch of the live music performed by Anita Clark was perfect; her performance was beautiful and provoked adrenaline in me. Her voice was one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard live. She was amazing at sustaining her vocals for a long time and her violin skills were gut-wrenching. The sound design done by Eden Mulholland, Clark, and Jolyon Mulholland also successfully convinced me to believe I was in a different realm. The choices made for the sound design were spot on: I could physically feel it in my chest and sense the sound alerting me to the mightiness of the show. It intertwined superbly with the action, projection, and lights on the stage, which was overall very satisfying.

The only time I felt genuinely disappointed with the show was when it ended. I was confused; it couldn’t be the end already. I needed more of it. Belle - A Performance of Air was an addictive drug I hope to experience again. Until then, I most definitely will be keeping an eye on all the creators involved and I recommend you do the same.