Mary Jane O'Reilly Q.S.M. A.R.A.D.

PRESENT POSITIONS

• Freelance choreographer and Co-producer Flagrant Productions
  

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS HELD

• 2006 - 2011 Artistic Director of TEMPO, New Zealand’s Festival of Dance
  
• 2005 Tertiary Dance conference Producer
  
• 2004 Chairperson: TEMPO Auckland Dance Festival Board
  
• 2001 - 2004 Senior Lecturer in Dance at the University of Auckland
  
• 2001 - 2004 Executive Committee member of Women in Film and Television
  
• 1999 Director and choreographer Millennium Dawn, Gisborne
  
• 1999 - 2004 A Governor of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand
  
• 1998 - 2001 Committee member - Auckland Arts Advocates AAA
  
• 1996 - 2001 Founder and Artistic Director, Auckland Dance Company
  
• 1990 - 1993 Trustee of the Auckland Performing Arts School
  
• 1991 - 1992 Adviser to the QEII Arts Council (Creative NZ) professional dance panel.
  
• 1989 - 1990 Director of Choreography for the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
  
• 1978 - 1986 Co then sole Artistic Director of Limbs Dance Company.
  
• 1977 Founder Member of Limbs Dance Company
  

CAREER HONOURS AND AWARDS

• 1990 The Queens Service Medal QSM .
  
• 1984 The Allen Highet Award presented to an outstanding mid-career artist.
  
• 1981 The Air New Zealand Travel Award.
  
• 1981 Group (Limbs) Entertainer of the Year award.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• 1969 Royal Academy of Dancing scholarship to attend the Royal Ballet School in London (UK) at the senior Advanced Ballet level.
  
• 1968 R.A.D Solo Seal qualification from the Royal Academy of Dancing (UK)
  
• 1968 Tertiary Diploma in Dance from the National School of Ballet, Wgtn, NZ.
  

PERSONAL STATUS

• 1950 Born in Wellington, New Zealand, 23rd July
  
• 1974 Married Philip O’Reilly, Director of Phil O’Reilly Design & 20/20 Design Group. (born Wgtn 1948)
  
• 1985 Daughter Morgana O’Reilly born 19th August.
  

CHOREOGRAPHIES

• 2010 In Flagrante – burlesque work for TEMPO 2010
  
• 2010 Spinning Winter - solo for herself, performed at Trinity Cathedral with Bach Musica, May 2010.
  
• 2009 Witch Bitch - solo work for herself, performed at TEMPO 2009, SPLORE 2010
  
• 2007 Time About – Short new work choreographed on Dorothea Ashbridge and Debra McCulloch, to be performed at TEMPO in ‘Old Yeller.’
  
• 2007 Talking Heads – Reprised with the original cast from 1981.
  
• 2004 Currents - #201 dance course, end of semester performances, Rm 318, KMC Building.
  
• 2003 End of Year performances – Dance Programme at UOA in RM 318
  
• 2003 Circus Solos - #201 Course, end of first Semester performances, RM 318, KMC Blgd.
  
• 2003 Passion – Commissioned by the Auckland Choral Society to create 30 mins of choreography to be performed at the Trinity Cathedral, Ak interspersed through the ‘St Matthew Passion’ performance by the choir, conducted by Peter Watts.
  
• 2001 Limbs Retrospective. Re-creation and performance series of early (1977-83) Limbs danceworks. Ak and Wgtn, NZ
  
• 2001 3D – Three dance companies share a programme, Maidment Theatre, Ak Auckland Dance Co, Touch Compass, Curve Dance Collective.
  
• 2000 Flourish - Commissioned from Auckland Art Gallery as a response to ‘The Master’s Eye’ exhibition. 4 dancers / 17 mins duration.
  
• 2000 Gallipoli - Presented in May 2000 for schools. 8 dancers. 23 minutes duration. Composer Jonathan Besser, co-choreographer, Guy Ryan.
  
• 2000 Te Rangimarie - A site specific cross cultural Pageant in Gisborne, East Coast New Zealand, 4:30am January 1st, Dawn Ceremony supporting Kiri Te Kanawa.
  
• 1998 Cheryomushki - Choreographer for operetta performed by Young Friends of Opera New Zealand. Music by Shostakovich. Cast of 50 youth between 12 and 23 yrs
  
• 1998 Harbour Dance - A contemporary dance work performed at the Auckland Town Hall’s Great Hall with a cast of 35 including 10 professional dancers and 25 children
  
• 1997 Romeo & Juliet - A contemporary ballet from the point of view of Juliet -performed at the Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland Oct ‘97
  
• 1997 Crater Dance - A dancework from the Pacific rim. At the WOMAD Festival, Western Springs.
  
• 1996 Giselle - An ‘extreme’ ballet version of Giselle Act 2. Set on another planet. Performed at the Bruce Mason Centre,Takapuna, Auckland.
  
• 1994 Dust in the Air - A post modern ballet. Performed at the Galaxy Theatre, Auckland. Live original music by Jonathan Besser. Four contemporary ballet dancers and MJ O’Reilly performing.
  
• 1993 Pukeko Pie, with Ponsonby Primary School - Performed at the Auckland Town Hall by all the pupils (310 five to eleven year olds) and MJ O’Reilly onstage as a dancing MC.
  
• 1993 The Contest - choreographed for the Pacific Theatre Co. production. Performed for a season at the Depot Theatre, Wellington and the Watershed Theatre Auckland.
  
• 1992 The Dancer - Children’s holiday show with ‘The Aunties’. Performed at the Maidment Theatre Auckland for a season.
  
• 1992 Processions - Created for the Graduates of the NZ School of Dance, and the 25th Anniversary. Music by Don McGlashan and Wayne Laird. Performed at the Wellington Opera House for a season.
  
• 1992 Adam and Eve Revisited - Created for the Wellington International Arts Festival. Premiered at the Memorial Theatre, Wellington - followed by a season at the Maidment Theatre , Auckland. Recreated for the Taranaki Arts Festival in New Plymouth in 1993.
  
• 1990 The Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games - Choreographer and script co writer with a cast of 6000 dancers, marching girls, martial arts, gymnasts. Performed at the Ericsson Stadium(ex Mt Smart) Auckland New Zealand.
  
• 1990 Jean - The Ballet of Jean Batten. A three act ballet with a cast of 30 for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company. Premiered at the Aotea Centre and for a season, then toured throughout NZ and shown on TVNZ. Original score by Jonathan Besser.
  
• 1988 Off With Their Heads, created for Limbs Dance Company - Music by Jonathan Besser.
  
• 1987 A recreation of Poi for Limbs Dance Company with an extended opening to lengthen the work to 16 minutes
  
• 1986 Tarawera - Performed by Limbs dance Co. Inspired by the destruction of the Pink and White terraces in the Mt Tarawera eruption. Original music by Ivan Zagni.Mary Jane O’Reilly Curriculum Vitae October 2001
  
• 1984 Souvenirs - Performed by Limbs dance co. Inspired by icons of NZ such as marching girls. Original music by Don McGlashan.
  
• 1982 Dracula - working with Director Ian Mune with Limbs dance co at the Mercury Theatre.
  
• 1982 Warrior - Performed by Limbs dance co. Commissioned by Whangerei / Forum North opening. Original music by Wayne Laird.
  
• 1982 Poi - Performed by Limbs Dance co. Inspired by the movement dynamics, the sound and visual effects of Poi. Original music by Jack Body. Dur 7 minutes
  
• 1980 Saga - Theme inspired by Papua New Guinea myths and New Zealand birds. Original music by Jan Preston. Duration 30mins