Cultural dance showcase
Deirdre Tarrant21/09/2011 10:51:00 a.m.
MERENIA Gray and Tanemahuta Gray have staged a follow up show to the beginnings of this project last year. In its inaugural season Kowhiti set out to celebrate Maori choreographers and contemporary works and it was interesting that the performers who were onstage in 2010 had changed significantly in this second season. Kowhiti 2011 in its new version is a cultural dance showcase with a stated aim to celebrate diversity. The Opera House somehow did not really work as the venue for this series of unrelated dances and maybe the work would have sat better in the cultural celebration held at the Town Hall over the same weekend?
Production was slow but generally slick with some sound problems? (this also marred the performance earlier this week by Black Grace?) The performers were committed and enjoyed dancing and as an audience member I also enjoyed their enjoyment. There were theatrical moments and aerial excitement in excerpts from Maui-One Man against the Gods; the Pehea Kou Piko?-Pacifika Sway by ARUNA setting a mesmeric sense of rhythm and the fast and funky Future Fame providing a very different sound and robotic movement style. Tumutumu was an intriguing solo performance choreographed and performed by Louise Potiki-Bryant and was a welcome chance to see her work. Potiki-Bryant works with Atamira Dance Company in Auckland and Tumutumu coordinated video installation and music by Paddy Freer in a dance inspired by personal healing and the tumutumu, a Maori musical instrument.
Nkosinathi’s Cultural Group were guest visitors from South Africa and they were the stand out performers of the evening. Their Gumboot Dance was infectious and very exuberant. In their finale, Pantsula there were wonderful similarities to dances in many countries and yet this was totally their own voice and a dance of their culture.







