New Kaupapa
Development Wānanga with Brydie Colquhoun
Development Wānanga with Brydie Colquhoun
For a week in January, Brydie Colquhoun (Ngāpuhi) led a week-long wānanga with six Atamira dance artists, providing her with a dedicated space to deepen and refine her evolving movement and partnering practice.
The time was filled with explorations of physical connection, intimacy, hongi (the sharing of breath), and the embodied integration of Te Ao Māori perspectives and pūrākau.
The time was filled with explorations of physical connection, intimacy, hongi (the sharing of breath), and the embodied integration of Te Ao Māori perspectives and pūrākau.
END OF 2024
A message from Kaihautū Bianca Hyslop
A message from Kaihautū Bianca Hyslop
2024 has been a historic year for Aotearoa, with tens of thousands of Māori and Tāngata Tiriti standing in solidarity to uplift the Toitū Te Tīriti movement and voice their opposition to the “Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.”
Now, more than ever, we must harness our art as a form of resistance — a powerful force for unity in our collective vision of a brighter future. These are the moments of resistance and transformation that inspire and guide us.
He tau pūmau, he tau whakaihiihi, he tau whakamīharo mō tātou katoa!
A year of resilience, a year of vitality, and a year of awe-inspiring moments for everyone!
As Hineraumati returns to Tamanuiterā, marking the close of our working year, join us in taking this time to rest, reflect, and unite in the warmth of the sun.
Bianca Hyslop
Kaihautū
Now, more than ever, we must harness our art as a form of resistance — a powerful force for unity in our collective vision of a brighter future. These are the moments of resistance and transformation that inspire and guide us.
He tau pūmau, he tau whakaihiihi, he tau whakamīharo mō tātou katoa!
A year of resilience, a year of vitality, and a year of awe-inspiring moments for everyone!
As Hineraumati returns to Tamanuiterā, marking the close of our working year, join us in taking this time to rest, reflect, and unite in the warmth of the sun.
Bianca Hyslop
Kaihautū
END OF 2024
A message from Executive Director Marama Lloydd
A message from Executive Director Marama Lloydd
2024 wraps up my time as Executive Director at Atamira Dance Company.
I am very proud of, and grateful to the amazing team who have worked alongside me this year in the Atamira office to uplift and empower our creative collaborators to vision, create and present new works and take their magic into communities. Our new double bill work Ka Mua Ka Muri embodied and exemplified the journey we take from past to future and so it has also been a pleasure to welcome and support new Kaihautū Bianca Hyslop into her leadership role.
Whether through live performances, digital platforms, or our community and education initiatives, it has been a privilege to connect with a diverse range of audiences — from tamariki to kaumātua. So on behalf of us all in the office, our whānau of exceptional artists and the hardworking Board of Trustees, we extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the past year and we wish you all a safe and happy festive season.
Marama LLoydd
Executive Director
I am very proud of, and grateful to the amazing team who have worked alongside me this year in the Atamira office to uplift and empower our creative collaborators to vision, create and present new works and take their magic into communities. Our new double bill work Ka Mua Ka Muri embodied and exemplified the journey we take from past to future and so it has also been a pleasure to welcome and support new Kaihautū Bianca Hyslop into her leadership role.
Whether through live performances, digital platforms, or our community and education initiatives, it has been a privilege to connect with a diverse range of audiences — from tamariki to kaumātua. So on behalf of us all in the office, our whānau of exceptional artists and the hardworking Board of Trustees, we extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the past year and we wish you all a safe and happy festive season.
Marama LLoydd
Executive Director
Kia hiwa rā! Kia hiwa rā!
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Bianca Hyslop as Kaihautū of Atamira Dance Company.
Bianca Hyslop (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue-kaipapa, Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, Pākehā) is a pivotal figure in the Māori contemporary dance landscape, with over fifteen years of impactful contributions that resonate nationally and internationally.
She has danced with esteemed companies including Atamira, The New Zealand Dance Company and Ōkāreka, and her stellar independent practice includes co-creating ‘He Huia Kaimanawa’ and ‘Pōhutu’, with partner and award-winning design artist Rowan Pierce. Bianca has been recognised with a FAME Mid-Career Award, Tup Lang Choreographic Award and the Eileen May Norris Scholarship. Atamira Dance Company has been a foundational pillar in her career, and most recently, Bianca was a co-choreographer for ‘Ka Mua Ka Muri’.
She has danced with esteemed companies including Atamira, The New Zealand Dance Company and Ōkāreka, and her stellar independent practice includes co-creating ‘He Huia Kaimanawa’ and ‘Pōhutu’, with partner and award-winning design artist Rowan Pierce. Bianca has been recognised with a FAME Mid-Career Award, Tup Lang Choreographic Award and the Eileen May Norris Scholarship. Atamira Dance Company has been a foundational pillar in her career, and most recently, Bianca was a co-choreographer for ‘Ka Mua Ka Muri’.
Bianca will begin in the new role of Kaihautū after Labour weekend and lead us into 2025 - our 25th anniversary year!
Directed by Kelly Nash
Tempo Dance Festival NZ
Saturday 12 October | 6pm
Q Theatre - Vault
Tātai Whetū is a constellation of choreographic ideas and movement practices shown via film and live performance by Atamira Dance Company artists with filmmaker and choreographer Kelly Nash. These works speak to bringing people together with different creative strengths to connect and express in the world of Te Ao Māori. The evening will be staged to create discussion and responsiveness from the audience around the artistic practices of the works presented.
Tempo Dance Festival NZ
Saturday 12 October | 6pm
Q Theatre - Vault
Tātai Whetū is a constellation of choreographic ideas and movement practices shown via film and live performance by Atamira Dance Company artists with filmmaker and choreographer Kelly Nash. These works speak to bringing people together with different creative strengths to connect and express in the world of Te Ao Māori. The evening will be staged to create discussion and responsiveness from the audience around the artistic practices of the works presented.
Atamira Dance Company is a platform where Te Ao Māori and dance converge, bringing mātauranga Māori, whakapapa, and stories to life through creative expression and movement.
Kelly Nash has been an integral member of Atamira Dance Company since 2006 as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, healer, artistic manager and rehearsal director. She thrives in diverse, cross-cultural spaces, merging her expertise in somatic practices, mentoring and artistic direction/management. Her films have been selected for multiple Film Festivals nationally and internationally and she has also received several awards including “Best First Time Director” from Japan International Film Festival, Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival, Munich New Wave short film festival and Seoul International Short Film Festival.
Kelly Nash has been an integral member of Atamira Dance Company since 2006 as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, healer, artistic manager and rehearsal director. She thrives in diverse, cross-cultural spaces, merging her expertise in somatic practices, mentoring and artistic direction/management. Her films have been selected for multiple Film Festivals nationally and internationally and she has also received several awards including “Best First Time Director” from Japan International Film Festival, Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival, Munich New Wave short film festival and Seoul International Short Film Festival.
Images captured by Andi Crown and Jinki Cambronero
KA MUA KA MURI
New double bill choreographed by Bianca Hyslop and Eddie Elliott
New double bill choreographed by Bianca Hyslop and Eddie Elliott
2024 Premiere
25 - 27 July
Q Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau
22 August
Forum North, Whangārei
25 - 27 July
Q Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau
22 August
Forum North, Whangārei
Atamira Dance Company encompasses and uplifts the voices of acclaimed choreographers and long-time collaborators, Bianca Hyslop and Eddie Elliott in this unique and powerful double bill KA MUA KA MURI.
Derived from and inspired by, the whakatauki Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, 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.
Derived from and inspired by, the whakatauki Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, 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.
Whakamaheahea by Bianca Hyslop (Te Arawa) showcases urban Māori experiences by transcending loss-based narratives, embracing multifaceted identities that encompass divine, ancestral, and human elements, and weaving stories of empowerment, transformation, and resilience to inspire a brighter collective future.
Remain by Eddie Elliott (Ngāti Maniapoto) explores the continuity and vitality of whakapapa, tikanga, and a deep connection to Tūpuna, emphasizing the importance of preserving these cultural foundations to honor the past, understand the present, and shape a promising future for rangatahi
Images captured by Sacha Stejko and Andi Crown Photography