Atamira dance company

Atamira Dance Company is a Māori contemporary dance company in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Recent work includes Onepū choreographed by Louise Potiki Bryant that premiered in 2018 with a New Zealand tour in 2019.

Atamira Dance Company
Formation2000 (2000)
PurposeContemporary New Zealand Dance
Location
Artistic director(s)
Jack Gray

History

In 2000, the company was founded from a vision of Jack Gray's for a collective of young Māori dancers and choreographers to present dance projects relative to their shared cultural heritage and perspective. Founding members are Jack Gray, Dolina Wehipeihana, Louise Potiki Bryant and Justine Hohaia.[1][2] The four met during 1999 while Gray and Wehipeihana were studying contemporary dance at UNITEC, subsequently becoming acquainted with Hohaia and Bryant at a tertiary dance festival. At that point Bryant was studying Māori Studies at University of Otago and Hohaia at Wellington's New Zealand School of Dance. Potiki Bryant went on to study at the dance programme at UNITEC.[1]

Atamira Dance Company is part of a growth in contemporary Māori dance in New Zealand that started in the 1980s with companies like Te Kanikani O Te Rangatahi (1984) and Taiao (1988) created by Stephen Bradshaw. Then Merenia Gray started the Merenia Gray Dance Theatre in 1994. Okareka was formed in 2007 by Taiaroa Royal and Taane Mete.[3]

In 2008 the Atamira Dance Collective Charitable Trust with the aim to 'foster, promote and develop Māori Contemporary Dance by providing a platform for Māori choreographers and dancers to create, develop, teach and present work and to assist those choreographers and dancers to achieve those objects.'[4]

In 2010 Moss Patterson was appointed as the first Artistic Director. In 2018 he resigned from his role to follow his own path, and created his own company Tohu.[5] Patterson has danced and choreographed for Atamira Dance Company, Black Grace Dance Company, Footnote Dance Company, and Touch Compass. He choreographed Te Paki, Haka, Te Whenua, Whakairo, and Moko for Atamira Dance Company. In 2007, Patterson was awarded Best Choreography by TEMPO Dance Festival and Best New Choreographer in the NZ Listener for Whakairo.[6]

Jack Gray has been appointed Artistic Director following Moss Patterson.[7]

The company is based in Corban Estate Arts Centre in Waitakere City, New Zealand.[8]

About the Work

Atamira typically means stage, but a more in-depth meaning to the word relates to the process of caring for those who have died, and cam also be said to mean showcase or platform.The company takes their personal stories and that of their whakapapa to relate to Aotearoa's history and contemporary issues.[9][8] They are Auckland based but diversity is reflected in different iwi (tribal) connections from around New Zealand that the company members have.[8]

Review of the show Manaia at the Hannah Playhouse in Wellington in 2017.

"These works once again display Atamira's brilliance at conveying strong themes that move us with their  heart and spirituality and excite us with the power of the Company's performances."[10]

Shows
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

The programme of Atamira shows are often made up of shorter works that are combined into a season and tour. This list currently makes no distinction between the individual works and the combined presentation.

  • Freshly Minted (2001)[11]
  • Whakairo (2007)[12]
  • Ngai Tahu 32 (2008)[13]
  • Taonga: Dust, Water, Wind (2009)[14]
  • Whetu (2010)[15]
  • Hou (2010)[16]
  • Te Urewera (2011)[17]
  • Te Houhi: The People and the Land are One (2011)[18]
  • Kaha: Short Works (2012)[19]
  • Tohu (2012)[20]
  • Moko Toured to the Beijing Dance Festival and the Chang Mu Dance Festival in 2015
  • Mitimiti
  • Atamira (2017) choreographed by Kelly Nash
  • Onepū (2018)

Funding

The company's core funders are Creative New Zealand, ASB Community Trust, Te Waka Toi and Toi Māori Aotearoa. Atamira Dance Collective Charitable Trust was formed in July 2007 to foster and promote Māori Contemporary Dance.[21]

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References
  1. "An interview with Louise Potiki Bryant". Arts Foundation. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. "FRINGE '04: Atamira Dance Collective". Scoop NZ. 11 February 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. Schultz, Marianne (22 October 2014). "Contemporary Māori and Pacific dance". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. "Charities Summary | Atamira Dance Collective Chartible Trust". Charities Services, Ngā Ratonga Kaupapa Atawhai. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. "Moss Patterson | Atamira Dance Company". Moss Patterson | Atamira Dance Company. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  6. "ATAMIRA Maori Contemporary Dance Company – The People". Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  7. "Jack Gray | Atamira Dance Company". Jack Gray | Atamira Dance Company. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  8. "Atamira Dance Company". The Big Idea. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  9. DANZ article on Atamira Archived 27 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Hunt, Ann (15 June 2017). "Dance Review: Manaia". Stuff. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  11. "FRINGE '04: Atamira Dance Collective | Scoop News". Scoop NZ. 11 February 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. [Metro NZ Issue 315-page 140]
  13. [Te Karaka Makairi 2008 issue 39 pages 42,43,44]
  14. [The Listener March 2009 pages 40&41]
  15. [Waikato Times page 2]
  16. [The New Zealand Herald 6 March 2010]
  17. [The New Zealand Herald 19 February 2011]
  18. [The New Zealand Herald 23 September 2011]
  19. [The New Zealand Herald 25 June 2012]
  20. [The New Zealand Herald 17 November 2012]
  21. Danz Article on Atamira Archived 27 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
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