KEY POINTS:
The choreography of dance titans Michael Parmenter and Douglas Wright has never been seen in the same show on the same stage. But fledgling dance company Okareka will pull off this coup when their show Tama Ma premieres at the Tempo Festival on Thursday.
"When we formed Okareka
we thought about which of our friends we would want to work with and Michael and Douglas were the top of the list. It was fantastic to work with them again and we were honoured they would put aside their difference to work with us," says Taane Mete, Okareka director.
This top-level support from the dance community is a testament to the talents of Mete and his fellow director Taiaroa Royal.
Two of our most in-demand dancers, they have worked to local and international acclaim over the past two decades in companies including Parmenter's Commotion Company, the Douglas Wright Company, Black Grace and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
They first talked about starting their own company 11 years ago but only put words into action last year when they formed Okareka with a view to creating a show for the Auckland Festival. Having given themselves just eight weeks to get the work under way, they weren't surprised when festival producers suggested the show needed more time.
Mete and Royal say that show would have been an immature work and are pleased to have taken the time to create Tama Ma for Tempo.
"There is a lot of hype about our show in the dance community and a lot of expectation. People have asked us why didn't we do it sooner but everything has happened at just the right time," Mete says.
Tama Ma is an intensely personal work that contains many biographical elements for both Mete and Royal. They describe it as an emotional journey that tells the story of a Maori boy's growth to manhood and his search for identity.
"It's about death, earth, parents, relationships and sexuality so there is something for everyone to relate to. It has light moments and dark times. It's sometimes lyrical and sometimes very athletic," Mete says.
Royal adds that there is a great variety to the dance and movement styles and the show also features film, drag elements, singing and great design. In addition to their big-name choreographers, the men have enlisted the skills of film-makers Mark Summerville and Heather Lee, composer Eden Mulholland and designers John Verryt, Elizabeth Whiting and Jeremy Fern.
The collaborative process - one of the founding tenets of the company - promises to continue fusing dance and other art forms.
The men say the other driving principles of Okareka are whanau (family), mana (honour) and matataki (challenge).
Mete and Royal are the only two performers in the show. They are relaxed about being described as "mature dancers", laughing that they are comfortable with their age.
"I'm a much better performer now than when I was younger. What is the point of being able to kick your leg up past your head if you can't tell a story," Royal explains.
Mete and Royal know what attracts festival producers to touring shows and have created Tama Ma with the international circuit in mind.
Then there is the behind-the-scene documentary, the short film that forms the first act and their plans to release the original music from the show as an album. "Tama Ma is huge, it's grown into a real monster," Royal says with a huge smile.
Performance
What: Tama Ma, by Okareka Dance Company
Where and when: Town Hall Concert Chamber, Oct 9-14, 7.30pm; 12.30pm matinee Oct 14
