2025 marks 30 years since Kiwi dance company Black Grace was formed, and this anniversary will be marked with some new performances.

Later this month, the company will stage Paul Taylor's Esplanade, in a double bill with If Ever There Was A Time - an original work by founder Neil Ieremia.

Ieremia says when he first started out, there weren't a lot of dance opportunities for Māori men, and he aimed to change that.

"I remember when we put on our first show and it actually sold out - it was at the Kenneth Maidment Theatre at the university there. We put on our first show and it sold out before we actually opened, which was quite incredible."

The Black Grace double bill tour starts in Auckland on November 21 and continues in Christchurch on November 25 and 26, with tickets available here.

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