Atamira Dance Company’s latest show Ka Mua Ka Muri premiering in Whangārei

Acclaimed choreographers and long-time collaborators, Bianca Hyslop and Eddie Elliott are showcasing their work through Ka Mua Ka Muri Photo / Sacha Stejko

Jodi Bryant speaks with acclaimed choreographer Bianca Hyslop ahead of Atamira Dance Company’s latest show premiering in Whangārei this Thursday. The double bill Ka Mua Ka Muri, full of energy and heart, invites audiences to experience a transformative hour where tradition collides with innovation, and past, present, and future converge on stage.

A “visual feast” with surround sound, innovative choreography and stunning Māori dance artists likened to Olympic gymnastics level, is set to debut in Whangārei on Thursday.

Ka Mua Ka Muri relates to Māori perspectives of time where the past, present and the future are intertwined, offering a contemporary dance experience that explores both the significance of whakapapa while defining new aspirations for the future.

Acclaimed choreographers and long-time collaborators, Bianca Hyslop and Eddie Elliott are showcasing their work through Ka Mua Ka Muri which reflects the te ao Māori (the Māori world) perspectives of time being cyclic rather than linear, with the past, present and future influencing one another.

Choreographer Bianca Hyslop.

“This also reflects the te ao Māori perspective of whakapapa,” explains Hyslop. “That our present embodiment of self is a result of all that came before us and that our present thinking, motivations and actions are not self-driven as such but future driven for the next generations to come.”

Hyslop is a freelance artist/dancer/choreographer who has worked specifically within the Māori contemporary dance sector both nationally and internationally for over 15 years. She has been a core Atamira company dancer since 2010. Atamira Dance Company’s Māori contemporary dance work embodies a unique artistic landscape shaped by the cultural identity of its people and their stories.

Recently, Hyslop completed a three-year degree in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga and brings this personal development back into the performing arts community.

“For me it was finding an art form where I could truly express myself. Being able to roll and jump and spin is so freeing as an expression but more than that it was also an access point for me into te ao Māori, which has so much to offer. My work with Atamira Dance Company has taught me about my connection to the earth below and the sky above and all that’s in between. The learnings are limitless. As of recent, my love and passion is shifting and I’m not having to do the dancing myself as much but instead I’m finding joy in sharing this knowledge and my love of this expression with others.”

Choreographer Eddie Elliott.

The show comprises Elliott’s piece called Remain, and Hyslop’s called Whakamaheahea. Mahea translates to ‘clear/free from obstruction’ and the repetition ‘Maheahea’ is to add punch or emphasis to the word. ‘Whaka’ turns the word into an actioning: ‘Whakamaheahea’ – a call to action. “It’s a reflection on the past and a clearing of the path forward for a bright collective future.”

Whakamaheahea showcases urban Māori experiences by transcending loss-based narratives, embracing multifaceted identities that encompass divine, ancestral, and human elements, weaving stories of empowerment, transformation, and resilience to inspire a brighter collective future.

“I really wanted to magnify each of the performer’s individual spirit. To see them embody all that they are. As atua [gods] and as tūpuna [ancestors] but also to just see them on stage as humans. For me this realness, the rawness and the vulnerability of this expression allows the work to be relatable to the viewers. A chance for audiences to see their own histories, their own whakapapa and their own stories reflected on stage suddenly takes it away from being just a dance show but instead a sharing of our collective human experience. It is from this sharing that a unity between the performers and the audience is formed,” Hyslop said.

“You will hear a lot of spoken and recorded text in Whakamaheahea which is not common in contemporary dance. This came from my initial starting point of asking the performers/co-collaborators to write a letter to their future mokopuna [grandchildren].

The show comprises Elliott’s piece called Remain, and Hyslop’s called Whakamaheahea. Photo / Sacha Stejko

“I then worked with a creative writer Francis Legg in which a lot of this text was transformed. But for me it is the words that are the thread, they hold the whakapapa of the process and the journey from the work’s conception through to its finished product.”

Eddie’s career as a dancer and choreographer has led him around the world.

Remain is his first significant work made with Atamira Dance Company. Remain explores the continuity and vitality of whakapapa, tikanga, and a deep connection to tūpuna, emphasising the importance of preserving these cultural foundations to honour the past, understand the present, and shape a promising future for rangatahi.

“Combining my focus on the past with Bianca’s exploration of the future creates a dynamic interplay between continuity and evolution within the context of who we are as Māori creators,” he said.

Success is the work of many, says Hyslop, who recently won the 2024 FAME Mid-Career Awards, an award to artists who have made exceptional contributions to the professional performing arts in Aotearoa.

“There is a huge team behind Ka Mua Ka Muri so the choreography is really just one of the many elements that make up the experience as a whole. My job was to work closely with the performers and the creative team of designers to make sure all the puzzle pieces fit.”

Audiences can expect a ‘visual feast’ with surround sound, innovative choreography and six stunning Māori dance artists Photo / Sacha Stejko

Musically composed by trained dancer Eden Mullholland lends the advantage of composing soundscapes for live performance, says Hyslop. “One fun fact is that the soundtrack for Whakamaheahea is made up of 100 per cent recorded voice!”

Audiences can expect a ‘visual feast’ with surround sound, innovative choreography and six stunning Māori dance artists (Abbie Rogers, Caleb Heke, Madi Tumataroa, Oli Mathiesen, Tai Taranui Hemana, and Toalei Roycroft) who were recently described by a reviewer as having a “level of athletic ability and sheer physical strength close to Olympic gymnastics level”.

Atamira brings a new show to Whangārei almost every year and runs dance workshops at the high schools and OneOneSix.

“A lot of us whakapapa to the north so it is always good to come back to Forum North. Whangārei audiences are awesome as they always turn up to enjoy and support our mahi. We really enjoy our time up here.”

• # Ka Mua Ka Muri is showing at Forum North, Thursday, August 22 at 7.30pm. Tickets can be obtained via Eventfinda.