The highlight of the work was Jeremy Fern’s fabulous lighting; his vision created an intimate world within a deeply cavernous space and took us on a journey both wondrous and awe-inspiring….

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The world premiere of Awa: When Two Rivers Collide is a multi-layered work exploring themes of love, loss, the spiritual journey beyond death and amalgamation of two cultural expressions of movement. It tells the story of a Maori spirit, Te Uru Rangi, trapped in the Yellow River and of his journey through Te Rerenga Wairua. The kaitiaki of the Tongariro River meets Te Uru Rangi and they discuss where the spirit should rest… The ending is left open to interpretation.

This is the mythological enactment of a real story, an endeavour to unpack a personal, yet widely understood, description of loss, grief and the unknown of the afterlife. Artistic director Moss Patterson unites contemporary choreography with live orchestral music, traditional Chinese and Maori instruments, two choirs, and multimedia projection. There is a cast of just over one hundred performers on stage comprised of the dancers of Atamira Dance Company, the musicians of Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra string ensemble, pipa player Min Gao, taonga puoro musician Riki Bennett, and singers from the Auckland Chinese Philharmonic Choir and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kotuku. It is an ambitious collaboration and gives audiences an opportunity to experience a multitude of performance modes, to see a variety of performers working together, and to experience the realm of contemporary dance.

Robin Rawstorne’s set offers a circular space in which the dancers perform. The concentric rings on the ground are joined by rope to the rings above, creating a sub-aquatic experience under which the dancers swim, sink, float or fight throughout the work. The outer ring is a place where the current of the river spirals or drags the dancers through; most evocatively when the youth choir enters and surrounds the dancers.

Awa begins with a Chinese folk song and the cast of seven male dancers enter the space, crawling, to begin a gentle haka. The movement muted, vocals quiet, the men are haunting as they captivate the audience, drawing us in to the sad grieving of a central character.  As the orchestra begins, the syncopation of their rhythms is emulated in the dancers’ bodies. The choreography utilises common contemporary dance techniques and some dancers are outstanding in their delivery of fluid, river currents of movement. We see heads connected, or arms around a central figure as the dancers move in and out of conjoined group work, as is a popular trend in recent contemporary dance works. The exploration of currents, creatures and patterns of rivers is evident in the pathways the dancers make around the circular stage. There are trios, which depict the two rivers; duets, which explore the spirits colliding, and solos which use each dancer’s individual movement vocabulary in relation to the music. The sense of connection and physical understanding between the dancers is strong and the partnering is effortless and dynamic. Programme notes acknowledge the “cross-fertilisation” of using kapa haka and tai chi martial arts to create something new and also the importance of doing this safely, with “trust and empathy.” In the Q&A afterwards, it is evident that this is greatly appreciated as a beautiful combining of Chinese and Maori culture.

The 80-strong choir, the string ensemble, and traditional musicians offer rich thematic exploration for the dancers, and the choreography sits tightly within each piece. With the river as the main driving force behind this work, the sounds are trickles, rapids, and torrents.

The syncopation of the strings mimics the articulation of the bodies. The pipa and taonga puoro evoke the journey through the spiritual realm. Other production elements add details and embellishment to the telling of the story. Ruth Woodbury’s costuming is black with careful woven patterns, individual designs which come alive as the dancers move. Rowan Pierce’s AV offers an embodiment of the wairua as it escapes and becomes water. The projection is understated yet beautifully effective while Jeremy Fern’s lighting encapsulates a dual effect of this piece sitting simultaneously under the water and in an un-worldly realm.

This is Atamira Dance Company’s second consecutive all-male dance work. It illustrates the strong presence of males in Maori traditional myths and stories, despite this being a mythical telling of a modern story. This casting decision also underlines a current climate in New Zealand contemporary dance and prompts us to ask why can women not tell these stories? 

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