A Dynamotion production is one of the must-sees for those wanting a bit of escapism and their latest theatrical piece is Sharp Teeth which is playing at Q Theatre for a short season. This one is different from the narrative-driven shows the troupe puts on such as The Children of Sacred Valley or last year’s A Christmas Crisis in that Sharp Teeth is a series of dance vignettes rather than a continuing story.
The opening number saw the troupe dancing to the song Manbitch while wearing black T shirts, pink ruffs around their necks and grey track pants that ended up around their ankles exposing crotches full of glittery tinsel.
Among the many pieces was a very clever creation of a face replete with a mouth made of pool noodles that did a flawless lip sync and eventually morphed into a vagina that the cast were birthed from, well, all except Tom Sainsbury, who got stuck and had to be helped out.
Batanai Mashingaidze gave an excellent impersonation of a fussy cat who refused to eat expensive treats and instead preferred fresh raw meat. Later in the show she took centre stage for a magical routine featuring Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig in the Sky.
The routines involved some wonderful scenes including people screaming and searching for something in the dark and eventually found a giant. Lara FC and Harrison Keefe created a very energetic and grungy routine and were eventually joined on stage by the others holding multiple white masks which created a very memorable moment. Sean Riviera and Nomuna Amarbat proved to be very versatile as both dancers and curious characters throughout the show.
There was one scene that I would call ‘conversational ballet’ in which the troupe made small moves while an argument between a couple played out first in English and then French. This was very clever and poignant.
There were many more wonderful moments of high-energy-dance accompanied by a range of fantastic songs that made up a great evening.
Ultimately, Sharp Teeth explored the complex, tricky, painful, and sometimes deadly aspects of love. In true Dynamotion style this well-choreographed and fascinating show had elements of the absurd and the humorous yet proved to be an intriguing, innovative and very engaging piece of dance theatre.
SHARP TEETH
21-25 July 2026
Q Theatre – Auckland