The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave

An electrifying non-stop performance distilling the intensity of a three-day rave into an hour-long spectacle of pure endurance.

From Aotearoa (New Zealand), Oli Mathiesen with Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer present the award-winning The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave, an endurance-based dance work set to the booming Detroit techno album Nocturbulous Behaviour by Suburban Knight.

Exploring the movement vocabulary used in techno through the atmosphere and culture of a three-day rave condensed into an hour. Witness the relentless movement of three bodies, seamless without pause, and detailed down to every beat. Indulge in the pain, sweat, and cathartic mess; a display of pure endurance to achieve a goal. The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave is a spectacle of the human body as a victim to music,  passion, and our endless desire to achieve more: To win and win again.

As the show closes, you’ll be invited to remain in The Black Box and dance to a guest DJ at our very own Techno fueled night club, included in your ticket price.

Awards 

• Winner of the Summerhall Arts ‘Bragi Award’ at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
• Winner of the ‘PANNZ - Edinburgh Fringe Festival Summerhall Award’ at PANNZ Arts Market 2024
• Winner of the ‘Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award’ at New Zealand Fringe Festival 2024
• Winner of the ‘Sydney Fringe Tour Ready Award’ at New Zealand Fringe Festival 2024
• Winner of the ‘Momentous Movement Award’ at New Zealand Fringe Festival 2024

Oli Mathiesen (Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi)

Creator, Choreographer, and Performer

Oli Mathiesen is an indigenous choreographer and dancer based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Manu, Ngāpuhi). He is an emerging artist, working nationally and internationally with some of Aotearoa and Australia’s top companies, including Atamira Dance Company, Black Grace, The New Zealand Dance Company, The Farm, Borderline Arts Ensemble, as well as performing Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite’s 10 Duets on a Theme of Rescue (2023). He is an accomplished performer and choreographer whose artistry traverses the dynamic intersections of dance, physical theater, and film, all through the captivating lens of contemporary dance. His work is characterized by an unwavering commitment to discipline and a relentless pursuit of excellence, drawing inspiration from his diverse communities.

Oli is the sole winner of the international call for a new choreographic creation at La Biennale di Venezia. His new commissioned work, Just Between Me and Jesus (2026), will make its world premiere at the Venice Biennale Danza in 2026. Oli’s radical, award-winning show The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave (2024) has been presented globally, including at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, Melbourne’s RISING Festival 2025, Auckland Art Festival 2026, Sydney’s Liveworks Festival 2024, Nelson Arts Festival 2024, Christchurch’s Tiny Fest 2024, Auckland Pride Festival 2024, and Wellington’s New Zealand Fringe Festival 2024. The show performed a smash hit season at the esteemed Summerhall in Edinburgh, selling out their final week, being listed as Theatre Weekly’s Best Dance Performance, and were the inaugural award winners of the Bragi Award for Excellence in Creativity & Performance. Furthermore, he has choreographed works for Atamira Dance Company, Black Grace, Tempo Dance Festival, The Auckland Live Cabaret Festival, and The Performance Arcade. 

Lucy Lynch (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Choreographer and Performer  

Lucy completed her dance training at UNITEC, graduating in 2011 with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts, majoring in Contemporary Dance. Immediately after graduation, Lucy was offered the role of Professional Dancer with the newly launched New Zealand Dance Company, becoming a founding member and performing for the company for the following eight years. Lucy danced in the majority of the company's major seasons throughout Aotearoa and toured across the globe to some of the world's most prestigious dance festivals.

Lucy works closely with New Zealand choreographer, Mary Jane O'Reilly, and is a performer in her internationally recognised show, In Flagrante, and was a performer in her recent ballet, Ballet Noir. She has also danced for Black Grace Dance Company, World of Wearable Arts, WOMAD, Splore, Tempo Dance Festival, Auckland Cabaret Festival, and The New Zealand Body Art Awards. 

Sharvon Mortimer (Ngāti Porou)

Choreographer and Performer  

Born and raised in Rotorua, Sharvon is a Tāmaki Makaurau-based dance artist. She graduated in 2020 as a senior scholar with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts - Contemporary Dance from Unitec. Sharvon, Oli Mathiesen, and Bohao Feng received the Judge’s Choice Award (FOSSE) in 2019’s Short+Sweet Dance Festival. Since graduating, she has had the pleasure of collaborating with Miriam Eskildsen, Jacob Reynolds, Jawline Dance Co, Footnote New Zealand Dance, Jessie McCall, Oli Mathiesen, and The New Zealand Dance Company. In 2021 and 2022, she was part of NDN’s Tūrama Choreographic Intensive. Sharvon presented new work with Oli Mathiesen (Night and Mortar) as part of NZ Fringe 2021 and a Tāmaki Makaurau tour in 2022. Sharvon finds joy in being able to exchange movement with other humans and witness others doing so. Engaging with creating, inhabiting, and observing worlds that are specific, nuanced, and challenging.

Shanell Bielawa (Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi)

Lead Lighting Designer, Production Manager, and Technical Operator

Shanell is an artist and lighting designer determined to prove her Dad wrong by pursuing a career in the arts. Her interest in lighting emerged during her studies in photography and arts technology/management. Since then, she has worked across various mediums, from theatre to exhibition design. Her theater experience spans plays, musicals, contemporary dance, and orchestral concerts, while her lighting work in exhibitions and visitor experiences has broadened her creative approach and has given her a unique ability to blend technical expertise with artistic vision. When she's not behind a lighting console, you'll find Shanell sketching or reading with a cup of tea, re-watching her favorite movies, or out in nature chasing sunsets and inspiration for her next project. Her dedication to creative expression, experience, and exploration is evident in everything she does. 

Gina Heidekruger 

Producer and Stage Manager

Gina is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and holds a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts Management. Since graduating, Gina has had the pleasure of collaborating with Oli Mathiesen Company, Nightsong, Movement of the Human, Footnote New Zealand Dance, and The Royal New Zealand Ballet, in roles varying from Producer to Stage Manager. Gina's passion for the arts comes from her collaborators that keep it alive, the worlds that are created, and the connection art brings on and off stage. 

Creator, Choreographer, and Performer: Oli Mathiesen (Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi)

Choreographer and Performer: Lucy Lynch (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Choreographer and Performer: Sharvon Mortimer (Ngāti Porou)

Producer and Stage Manager: Gina Heidekruger

Lead Lighting Designer, Production Manager, and Operator: Shanell Bielawa

(Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi)

Music: Suburban Knight

Lighting Design Collaborators (2024): Oli Mathiesen, Shanell Bielawa, Bekky Boyce, Jazmin Whittall, Jacobus Engelbrecht (Legit Events)

Creative Producer (2024 - 2026): Abbie Rogers (Kāi Tahu, Te Arawa)

Production Designer and Technical Operator (2024 - 2025): Bekky Boyce

Global Booking Agent: Aurora Nova 

New Zealand and Australian Booking Agent: Shona McCullagh