Photo source / Peter Jenning, Facebook
Tonight, haka theatre company Hawaiki TŪ will perform a one-off live virtual experience of its show, Taurite.
The show opened to the public at the beginning of the year but this will be the second development of it, showcased online for the first time.
Hawaiki TŪ producer and director Kura Te Ua says Taurite speaks to the journey back to oneself "in such a crazy life that we live in."
“Despite the challenges we’re faced with in the world right now, what I hope is that this work can bring a sense of connectedness, a sense of peace and most importantly the returning of oneself to themselves,” says Te Ua of Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Te Whakatōhea and Tūhoe.
Taurite was developed in February with the support of Auckland Live and performed at the Auckland Town Hall concert chamber.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori
The sell-out show won several Auckland Fringe awards including Best Dance, Pick of the Fringe and Auckland Arts Festival’s Best of the Fringe award.
Tonight’s performance is a collaboration with Te Manu Huia Māori Cultural group, as part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori.
“In this development, we’ve been so fortunate to work closely with Papa Rereata, he tohunga o te maramataka (an expert of the Māori lunar calender) or how the moon cycles influence the way of our rehearsing, the thoughts that we have in the development of the work, how the maramataka can actually work for us in a way that brings us back closer to our truer higher selves,” Te Ua says.
The livestream will start at 7.10pm today. Tickets for Taurite are on sale now until 5:30pm today.
Tonight's performance will be the company’s second development showing of the work before a planned premiere in 2021.