Atamira unleash power of Maori dance at prestigious US fest

MEDIA RELEASE - 24 April 2012

Atamira unleash the power of Maori dance at prestigious US dance festival

A spine chilling contemporary expression of collective mana (pride/strength) performed by a full cast of professional dancers. Atamira’a signature HAKA demonstrates the almighty force of Maori Dance, as the company mark their debut at the internationally renowned Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the last stop on their US Tour July/August this year.

“….conjuring up piles of huge boulders or rolling clouds of steam.”
-HAKA, Raewyn Whyte, NZ Theatreview, 2012

The oldest international summer dance festival in the United States, the acclaimed Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival presents many forms, styles and traditions from across the world with an audience of 80,000 every August. Atamira are the first ever Maori contemporary dance company to be invited to participate in this hallowed event – and only the second New Zealand dance company to perform in the festival’s history.

Some of the most acclaimed members of the international dance hall of fame have all performed at Jacob’s Pillow. The likes of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Margot Fonteyn and commissioned works choreographed by Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor have all had their world premieres at this festival, while Nederlands Dans Theatre and the Trey McIntyre Project also had their debuts at Jacob’s Pillow.

Having impacted audiences across New Zealand with their ccompelling, artistic expression of Aotearoa’s rural and urban backgrounds, Atamira prove they are ready to take Maori arts and culture to an exponential level, demonstrating their rapid rise as a world force in indigenous contemporary performing arts.
Artistic director Moss Patterson’s MOKO will feature as the main work in Atamira’s line up at Jacobs Pillow. Running at approximately 25 minutes, MOKO is shaping up to be an eagerly anticipated work due for its full length debut in 2014. MOKO will be preceded by two shorter works - HAKA, commanding audiences as the powerful opener and Kelly Nash’s quirky and incisive new work INDIGENARCHY.

Atamira have gone from strength to strength; securing funding from Creative New Zealand, acceptance into Australia Touring Initiative (with a tour due there in 2014) and now an invitation into the world’s biggest dance festival - promising further accolades for these leading indigenous artists.

Preceding the Jacob’s Pillow highlight Atamira Dance Company perform in Hawaii (Maui – July 18th & Honolulu – July 20th and 21st), then onto San Francisco (July 28th), alongside the America’s Cup celebrations, before arriving in New York, Massachusetts for a festival performance, August 2nd.

Atamira’s KAHA 2013 programe is presented this year in partnership with the Central North Island Arts Consortium at Hawkes Bay 13th June, New Plymouth 16th June & Hamilton 19th June, and upon their return to New Zealand, Atamira rejoin the New Zealand festival circuit with their KAHA programe in October.
"Atamira is an exciting, assured company that is growing from strength to strength. A considerable plus is the range of personalities and depth of artistry among its dancers."
– Francesca Horsley, NZ Listener.

ENDS

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