Choreographers: Douglas Wright, Michael Parmenter, Taiaroa Royal, Taane Mete
Producer: Andrew Malmo
Film Director: Mark Summerville
Film Producer: Heather Lee
Film Consultant: Douglas Wright
Set Designer: John Verryt
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Whiting
Lighting Designer: Jeremy Fern
Rehearsal Director: Daniel Cooper
Musical Director/Composer: Eden Mulholland
Composer (Act 1 drag): Lindah Lepou & Lasalo Elia
Pianist (Act 2): David Guerin
Vocal Recording (Act 5): Mahinarangi Tocker
Technical Manager: Johnny Cross
Stage Manager: Sarah Peart
Stage Assistant: Zoe Stewart
Kaumatua: Ngamaru Raerino
Artist biographies
Taiaroa Royal
DIRECTOR & PRINCIPLE
Te Arawa, Kai Tahu, Ngati Rauwaka, Uenukukopako
Taiaroa trained at the New Zealand School of Dance and has since performed with major dance companies both at home and abroad, including The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Douglas Wright and Black Grace.
Tai has successfully choreographed many high profile events across Australasia including the Montana World of Wearable Arts Awards in Wellington, The Festival of Dreaming in Sydney, Auckland’s Concert in the Park and Queen of the Whole Universe. Tai has also spent time teaching at the UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts, The New Zealand School of Dance and a number of private dance schools.
Tai cites his performance in 2006 with ‘Maui – One Man Against the Gods’, directed by Tanemahuta Gray, as one of his favourites.” Maui gave me the opportunity to return to my spiritual roots and search through my own genealogy. It gave me strength and insight to look for a new phase for my career. In many ways it was the birth place for Okareka”.
Taiaroa was very happy with the response from Tama Ma’s premiere season last year and is excited to be touring it around Aotearoa.
Taane Mete
DIRECTOR & PRINCIPLE
Ngati Kahungungu me Ngati Koriki
Taane Mete graduated with honours from the New Zealand School of Dance in 1988 and is considered one of this country’s most outstanding and versatile dancers.
His 22 years of experience has seen him perform with companies such as Footnote, Douglas Wright, Taiao Dance Company, Fusion Dance Theatre, Michael Parmenter (Commotion Company), The Royal New Zealand Ballet, and Human Garden Dance Company. Taane was also founding member and a senior dancer for Black Grace Dance Company.
Taane also works as a choreographer and dance tutor at UNITEC Performing Arts and has choreographed sections for many events including New Zealand Fashion Week and the opening of the Vector Arena in Auckland. Taane also featured in the short film ‘Hurtle’ by Shona McCullagh (Human Garden), and Peter Jackson’s ‘King Kong’.
2007 saw the establishment of Taane’s joint company with Taiaroa Royal, Okareka Dance Company Ltd.
Douglas Wright
CHOREOGRAPHER
Douglas Wright was born in Tuakau, South Auckland, in 1956. After dancing with Limbs of Auckland, the Paul Taylor Dance Company of New York and DV8 Physical Theatre in London he returned to New Zealand in 1987 to form his own company. The Douglas Wright Dance Company toured extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia, New York and Europe. Douglas’s works of dance-theatre include Buried Venus (1997), Arc (1999), Halo (2000), Inland (2002) and Black Milk (2006).
Michael Parmenter
CHOREOGRAPHER
Michael Parmenter started dancing in Dunedin in 1977. He studied and danced with Erick Hawkins in New York and Min Tanaka in Japan. Over the past twenty-five years he has created a wide range of dance-works, from innovative solo and duo shows to full-length pieces for the
opera-house stage. He has choreographed many of these for his own Commotion Company, in addition to numerous works for the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Footnote Dance.
Mark Summerville
FILM DIRECTOR
Mark Summerville graduated from the University of Auckland Elam School of Fine Arts in 1990. He directed his first short film Singing Seas in 1986 and over the last twenty years has amassed a body of work including documentary, short films, music videos and exhibition work. Mark is a founding owner of Zoomslide Film Company and is presently working on a feature length documentary on the making of Tama Ma to be screened on Maori Television and in festivals worldwide.
Daniel Cooper
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Daniel trained at The New Zealand School of Dance and graduated in 2001. After graduating he understudied and danced in Douglas Wright’s 2002 season of Inland, then went on to dance with Black Grace Dance Company. During his time with Black Grace, Daniel performed at festivals and in theatres around the world. Alongside his work on ‘Tama Ma’, Daniel has recently choreographed for Stars in their Eyes, rehearsal directed Atamira Dance Collective’s new work Taonga, and currently, works as a Dance Educator for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
