AK03: Escape ... Again, Urban Youth Movement

By BERNADETTE RAE

Urban Youth Movement's explosive Escape ... Again is about anger and honesty, young people's views on the world danced with raw energy to DJ Manuel Bundy's rocking tunes.

It is also about the philosophy of big brother Black Grace Dance Company in inspiring action.

It all began in 1988 when Black Grace artistic director Neil Ieremia was invited to go into Auckland schools and work with dance, as part of an arts access programme organised by Sally Markham at The Edge.

"Instead of going in to teach some steps and a bit of repertoire I decided to try and give the kids the skills to make their own dance," says Ieremia.

He spent a month in each of three schools - Hillary College, Howick College and Mt Roskill Grammar - and from that came a one-off production, Fresh.

The Fresh project involved 60 young people, and when it was over many were clamouring for a way to carry on.

"It was a pretty emotional night," says Ieremia. "We went home and decided to try and carry on."

And so began a series of weekend workshops open to anyone from Fresh, plus friends and cousins, which provided free classes, choreographic exercises and guest speakers. Between 15 and 30 kids would turn up at the Black Grace studio.

In 1999 the group performed at Pasifika, and Urban Youth Movement was born, again with the encouragement of The Edge arts programme.

There has been Ignite and Escape and now Escape ... Again, all fantastic displays of exuberant raw talent.

Dancers have to audition each time, even those who have performed before, to keep an element of "striving" in the project. Generally, five or six dancers from previous performances carry on and Black Grace senior dancers are there as well.

Some Urban Youth Movement performers have gone on to dance school, or gone overseas to dance.

"But we are not set up to turn out fantastic dancers -rather, young people with important skills for life," says Ieremia.

At the top of his list of those skills are discipline, commitment, communication and a good work ethic.

"Communication is enormous for young people," he says. "They find it difficult to express their pains and their concerns. We spend a great deal of time on that. Learning to express themselves gives them freedom - when they learn to do it without hurting other people."

It's this intense communication that forms the material of Urban Youth Movement performances, presented as a series of snapshots of family life. It's a process that stirs up emotions, bringing tears every step of the way.

The issues that come up are frequently disturbing. Ieremia has professional counsellors at hand to deal with any possible fallout.

"The process is a potent one and there comes a time when I have to say, 'Hey, stop, this is getting way over my head'."

Black Grace Dance Company's new trainee, Tasi Tuala, began in Urban Youth Movement, the year after Fresh. Samoan-born Tuala was a pupil at Mt Roskill Grammar and was fascinated by the rehearsals going on in the hall. His uncle, who was performing, took him along to the next round of auditions.

"It was scary," says Tuala. "All these people were stretching their legs up around their necks. I was really scared. I didn't know anything. I had no dance background. There were about 50 people auditioning for 10 places. I didn't think I had a chance."

But he made it - "and my uncle didn't".

The Ignite project inspired him, and he told his family he wanted to be a dancer.

"At first they just said, 'Very good, son' and asked me the next day what I wanted to do when I left school. But once they saw the show, they began to understand and started to support me."

Tuala spent last year at the New Zealand School of Dance, his goal to join Black Grace. He enjoyed the year, he says, but felt something was missing. Then came the invitation to become the new trainee.

"I knew it would be hard, but I thought it would be a walk-in-the-park hard. Instead it is more like a machine that keeps on going and going, with no time to stop. It is much harder than dance school."

Days at Black Grace begin at 8am and finish at 6pm. He studies subjects such as the history of dance in his spare time. He has chores at home, offering plenty of communication exercises with his family.

He is also dancing in Escape ... Again, with extra rehearsals until 8pm.

"In the morning I look at the older guys in Black Grace and they don't look tired or act tired," he says. "Now I am one of the older guys in Urban Youth Movement. And I am setting the standard."

* At the Concert Chamber, Town Hall, 6pm tonight; 8pm nightly until Sept 27 excluding Friday; 6pm & 10pm Friday; matinees Wednesday & Saturday 2pm

Herald Feature: Auckland Festival AK03

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