Louise Pōtiki Bryant
Feb 23 + 24, 7 pm
Niizh Niimiwinan, Two Dances
Live performance
Scotiabank Dance Centre [map]
Tickets
Pūheke (Māori for "to flow") is a new solo work by Louise Pōtiki Bryant emerging out of her personal journey towards healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—Māuiui whakaauau. As part of her healing journey, Louise has utilised mindful illustration and movement tools inspired by the movement of water and atua wāhine (female deities/ancestors) from Te Ao Māori.
Pūheke is also inspired by mauri which in Te Ao Māori is the life force, animating energy and essential quality of a being or entity. Pūheke is an expression of Louise’s mauri evolving and transforming over time.
choreographer, dancer, video designer Louise Pōtiki Bryant
composer Paddy Free
AV technician, operator Paddy Free
Louise Pōtiki Bryant is a choreographer, dancer, video artist, film-maker and New Zealand Arts Laureate. She is dedicated to creating works which inspire the care, protection and regeneration of the whenua (land), moana (ocean), and waterways, and with her practice she aims to honour mana wāhine (intrinsic spiritual power of wāhine), and mātauraka Māori (Māori knowledge). Her work weaves the art-forms of video, installation, animation, painting, illustration, film and performance. Louise is a founding member and choreographer for Atamira Dance Company and has choreographed for companies such as The New Zealand Dance Company, Black Grace Dance Company, and Ōrotokare, Art, Story, Motion. She also has a body of solo, hybrid and collaborative works, including Kiri, a highly acclaimed collaboration with clay artist Paerau Corneal. A major influence on her practice has been her collaboration with Prof Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal during which they developed new dance works inspired by his research into whare tapere (pā-based/community houses of storytelling, dance, music, puppetry and games). Her video art practice includes video installations, dance films, and video-design for theatre, music, and contemporary dance productions.