Whare, part of the Kia Mau Festival, is a slick professional production performed by three very assured dancers – Mapihi Kelland, Sharn Te Pou and Te Hau Winitana. A selection of individual items are seamlessly joined together to make one flowing body of work. Ancestral, mythical, primal, warrior-like, elemental, set in a Pacifica timelessness owned by indigenous cultures and identities, much of it is dark and brooding. Torsos low to ground. Animalistic. Writhing. Rhythmically potent. Abrupt flicks and eruptions of movement. Individuals working alone or in tight unison with others. A fusion of different movement languages, dominant amongst which are traditional styles mixed with contemporary dance. 

Towards the end we get out of the territory of myth and nature and into contemporary life – a woman posing (literally) questions about body image and a suited male who becomes a gender-fluid voguer. Humour makes its appearance also. Te Pou, a slick technician with great acrobatic skills, creates fun, teasing and flirting with the audience who loves him back in return. His talents are not only as a superb dancer, he composed the music which provides a rich tapestry of sound in a huge variety of styles. Such diversity of artistry is rare. His is a star on the ascendent.

The women dancers, Kelland and Winitana, are Whitireia graduates. They perform with maturity and beauty. In ensemble, they are perfectly synced. In solo, each holds the stage with power and warmth. Kelland’s exquisite hula-inspired dance is uniquely choreographed to feature her back; an absence of frontal engagement with the audience showcases her comfortable authority and finesse, physically and performatively. Winitana equally matches her female colleague. She possesses excellent articulation and form in her body and saturates movement with inner understanding and meaning. Like the other two, she is an engaging and confident performer.

Strength and clarity of purpose stand out in all the work. The choreography is well crafted to accomodate quick changes of configuration and energy. Although the performance is made up of lots of bits, it does not come across as bitsy. The different pieces and items slot together to make one package of the whole lot. This is clever crafting for which it seems the outside eye and skill of the show’s director, Sasha Gibb, is responsible. 

I hope these fine artists keep working together to produce more work. They possess humanity and warmth. Their investigation of the questions and themes underpinning what they made is done with intelligence and sensitivity. Spoken language and song – both live and recorded – are cleverly interspersed and integrated into the soundscape, giving us the right amount of access to themes and content inside the choreography. Winitana stands out here for her words and poetry. The reception from the audience is ecstatic. The appreciation extended to the performers at the end is well-earned and deserving. Congratulations to all concerned.