Mary-Jane O’Reilly QSM ARAD

Mary-Jane O’Reilly has had a professional career spanning over 45 years both in New Zealand and internationally.

She studied ballet from the age of 4, gaining Solo Seal in 1968 while at the National Ballet School (now the New Zealand School of Dance) performing with the New Zealand Ballet in 1969 before heading to London on an RAD scholarship to study at the Royal Ballet School and performing in Europe.

She then took 5 years out from dancing and made denim jeans (the first time denim was used as a fashion garment, circa 1970) with her husband Phil. They started in London then travelled the world making made to measure denim jeans, ending up in Auckland at Cook St Market (ask your parents or grandparents he he) and selling the business 1976 (patterns etc) to a local entrepreneur.

She studied Cunningham Technique in the USA then returned to NZ and co-founded Limbs Dance Company in 1977 as a dancer and choreographer and as the Artistic Director from 1979 to 1986. Limbs often toured throughout NZ and to Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico and New York

When Limbs began (Phil and MJ) also started a leotard business creating stylish colourful leotards - Limbskins - as they were completely non-existent in NZ

In 1990 (with co-creative Phil O’Reilly) she choreographed the Auckland Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games with a cast of 6000, which was viewed by millions on TV worldwide.

In 1990 she choreographed the first ever commissioned original three act ballet for the Royal New Zealand Ballet ‘Jean, The Ballet’ about our most famous aviatrix Jean Batten.

She was awarded the $30,000 Allen Highet Award in 1984 and awarded a Queens Service Medal for her services to dance in 1990.

From 1996 to 2001 she directed Auckland Dance Company, mainly choreographing contemporary ballet works and being commissioned to create Crater Dance at Western Springs Park for the first WOMAD in 1997.

Then from 2001 – 2004 Mary-Jane lectured in dance at the University of Auckland.

From 2006 to 2011 she was Artistic Director of Tempo, New Zealand’s Festival of Dance, developing it into a highly regarded NZ festival of dance, presenting six festivals with a broad dance style approach, her final Tempo Festival happening in the brand new Q Theatre in 2011

In 2011 she also created (with co-creative Phil) In Flagrante - her contemporary cabaret work with a cast of 6, taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013 and twice to Melbourne 2016 & 2017 - which recently morphed (with the added aspect of whisky tasting) into Mouthfeel – recently (2022) performing it at the Civic Wintergarden for Auckland Live Cabaret Season

MJ’s latest project is Ballet Noir – which has been performed in 2021 for Auckland’s Elemental Festival with a cast of 12 and on the main stage (Rangatira) at Q Theatre, 27-29 October 2023, this time with an added fragrance experience for the audience.