After two years away from the haka theatre stage, Hawaiki Tū has returned with their new work Taurite, which expresses the value of having balance in life through contemporary dance and movement. The company presented Taurite at the Auckland Live Fringe Town Festival yesterday and will also perform it tonight.
Sometimes life can be tough and weigh a person down, and it is up to each individual to find the art of balance in life so that their pathway remains clear. Haka theatre company Hawaiki Tū brings all of this to life with their newest piece of work Taurite.
"Some of the ways that we're expressing this idea of Taurite is with these kōhatu he toka tumoana. They're symbols of us as people and the things that we're often faced with on the daily," Kura Te Ua says, who is the head of the company.
Hawaiki Tū only had four days to really compile the different elements and movements relating to this new piece of work. Despite that, Te Ua says it was more than enough time.
"I understand for a lot of Hawaiki Tū audiences, they're quite used to a haka theatre approach, which is combining dance, acting and theatre haka. So I thought having been out of the space for almost two years, I thought I'd probably step back into the space again with where I started."
Te Ua says there are hidden messages buried in Taurite that she hopes people will embrace. She says people often have multiple roles and titles to their name and can frequently lose sight of what they truly want to do.
"There's nothing like a bit of life experience to kick us into gear to the things that we're truly, absolutely, passionate about and for me it has always been Māori performing arts and telling our stories and finding ourselves in these places. Myself and the people that I'm working with are really just happy that you know ka ora anō ai te whare o Hawaiki Tū!"
Tonight will be the last show for Taurite but Hawaiki Tū will no doubt be back again in the near future.