Excutive Director
Marama Lloydd (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa)
Marama was born, raised and still lives in Auckland and is a mother of 2 adult sons. Strongly committed to supporting indigenous sovereignty globally, Marama became Executive Director of Atamira in June 2018, bringing 30 years of experience in the Māori contemporary dance sector to the role.
Her dance career began in training with Te Kanikani o Te Rangatahi in 1987 then she became an original company member of Taiao Dance Theatre, the company which pioneered the indigenous expression of the art form of dance in Aotearoa.
Marama also has a strong understanding of the wider dance industry following 13 years on the board of the NZ Dance Festival Trust, teaching curriculm dance at secondary school level and working as Education and Community Programme Manager at Auckland Arts Festival from 2012-2018.
Internationally she attended 3 dance residencies in the Aboriginal Arts Programme at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and as a result of this has a strong and valued Turtle Island Dance Network of colleagues and friends. Attendances at Talking Stick and Mòshkamo Indigenous Arts Festivals in 2019 and 2020 have rekindled and furthered these connections.
Intrium Artistic Manager
Kelly Nash (Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāpuhi)
Kelly Nash is a queer, femme, cross cultural director, movement based artist and choreographer, whose day job involves running a physical therapy business specialising in impact injuries and related trauma based in Aotearoa. She is a descendant of Ngapuhi and Ngai te rangi and has English Irish and Baltic ancestry. A long time company member of Atamira Dance Company, Kelly is now also Co-director of Body Island a creative production company alongside Co-director Nancy Wijohn. Her current interests are cultural collaboration, body histories and sharing work on digital platforms.
www.kellynashdance.com
www.nancyandkelly.com
www.bodyislandnz.com
Production Manager and Designer
Vanda Karolczak
Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Vanda has been living and working in Aotearoa since 1999. Her design work has spanned over 40 years covering theatre, dance, television, fashion, and music during time spent living in North America, the U.K, as well as New Zealand. She has a strong background in working in the music industry during her time in the UK and Canada touring with such acts as Robert Plant, Erasure, and Alexandre O’Neil and spent 5 years touring with Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens. Since coming to NZ Vanda has primarily been involved in the Indigenous contemporary dance space; working extensively with Atamira Dance Company in various capacities since 2003. Her design work for Atamira includes the award winning Ngai Tahu 32 (Lighting) and Taonga ( Lighting and Set), Onepu (Lighting), Memoirs of Active Service (Lighting and Set), Tomo Lighting, Set, and Costumes), Mitimiti (Lighting), Te Houhi (Lighting) and Ngā Wai (Lighting) and the 2022 legacy work Te Wheke ( Lighting and Props).
She also has also been part of the Creative team for Ōkāreka Dance Company since 2014 and has designed for works such as Mana Wahine (Lighting), Manawa ( Lighting), Wired, (Lighting) and Hōkioi me te Vwōhali ( Set and Lighting ) which premiered at the International Arts Festival in Wellington 2020.
Most recently she worked with Auckland Theatre Company on the 2023 production of King Lear as lighting designer. Vanda still enjoys touring but when home is based in West Auckland; living and continually being inspired by the beautiful West Coast Beaches and Waitakere Ranges.
Education Leader and Marketing Coordinator
Abbie Rogers (Kāi Tahu, Te Arawa)
Abbie Rogers is a Māori dancer, choreographer, educator and emerging producer born in Ōtautahi and now based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Kāi Tahu, Te Arawa). She has worked alongside companies and independent artists with performances ranging from stage shows, site specific work and VR films.
Abbie has been working with Aramira Dance Company since 2019 performing in Te Wheke (2021), Tomo (2023, 2019), Tomo VR (2022), Kiko (2022) and Kaha-Tripleboost (2022). Abbie has toured internationally with Atamira to Vancouver, Hawai’i, New York, San Diego and nationally around Aotearoa. Abbie has also had the privilege of working with Okareka Dance Company on Mana Wahine, Eddie Elliott, Gabrielle Thomas, Unitec Dance, Kelly Nash, Nancy Wijohn, and Sean MacDonald.
Abbie is currently working with Atamira as a dancer as well as their Marketing Coordinator and Education leader, working closely with Marama Lloydd, Atamira’s Excecutive Director and Kelly Nash the Interim Artistic Manager. She has produced and coordinated various projects within her roles including Kori Pūrākau Atamira’s biannual workshop at Due Drop Event Centre and all social media for the company.
She is also independently producing a new work by Oli Mathiesen, another Atamira dancer, set to premiere as part of Auckland Pride Festival 2024.
Abbie has a passion for connecting Mātauranga Māori, tikanga and pūrakau with her contemporary dance practice and is grateful her journey into Māori contemporary dance has formed and deepened her connection to Te Ao Māori.