Home, Land & Sea provides a bittersweet rendition of the dancers’ stories about own their lives in urban south Auckland through poetry, song, acting and dance. The show is in the early stages of development and this run has been produced from ten afternoon workshops most of which were held at Otahuhu College where LIMA also worked with the students. It has enormous potential.

The traditional Polynesian and Māori dance is the strength of LIMA’s productions, providing the keystone to their statements of identity. It is also when they look at their absolute best, most comfortable and strong in the knowledge of who they are. All the dancers (Gerry Murphy, Paulo Mohenoa, Aisea Latu, Paula Uvea, Tim Fualau, Italia Hunt and Rikki Tofi) deliver assured performances, and the appearance of Otahuhu College student, sixteen-year-old Vila Lemanu is not only a credit to him but also to Olivia Taouma and the dancers’ work ethos that provides a safe and productive working environment.

As the audience settle, singer/guitarist Haanz Faavae sets the tone with Bob Marley’s Redemption Song. As the show unfolds and issues of racism, isolations, stereotyping and violence are addressed I feel that these young men are pretty well emancipated from mental slavery.

Running throughout is the solo work of Saipele Maika. His red costume hints at the blood of tangata whenua. As guardian of the land, his crossings of the stage with wiri, bilingual karakia, haka and careful stepping act as the glue in the show. Other transitions between the many separate items push the pace along keeping the audience involved.

The movement, as to be expected, is at varying stages of development. Amongst seven solos there is a mix of contemporary, street, dance styles and infectious enjoyment of cultural roots. Solos, in which movement has been chosen to animate the poems that they have written, give glimpses into how these dancers see the world. Some of it doesn’t pull any punches – it isn’t pretty – and at times can be a bit too black and white. The interesting thing about using words in this way is finding the unexpected and mixing it up with the more literal – digging deeper into the visceral feelings and possibly enriching it with the traditional could be where these works are headed.

The larger group choreographies are the real deal in this show. Ranging from hilarious pastiche of Boys Hanging Out watching and reinventing The Lion King, kung fu movies and well – being boys – to Troy Tuua’s accomplished, complex and exacting fa’ataupati, My culture. My Roots. I am Alive (drummers Tuua and Epine Savea). Olivia Taouma’s closing Home Land & Sea encapsulates the show’s deeper side in a weaving of layers hinted at throughout the show.

Projects such as this, working with little or no funding and time, are remarkable especially in providing opportunities for young men to bring their perspectives to a wider audience and to the students of Otahuhu College. One can only wonder about how much people have done for free in this team production. This project will hopefully gain funding and traction as it develops and LIMA interact with the wider world that is waiting for them. What if?

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer