Onepū

Onepū is a powerful expression of mana wahine, (the intrinsic power of women), conveyed through Māori contemporary dance.

Inspired by a Kāi Tahu tradition, as told by rangatira Teone Taare Tikao, Onepū has been created by celebrated choreographer and dancer Louise Potiki Bryant, who is also the show’s video artist.

In an atmospheric performance of dance, music and video projection, six atua wahine (female deities) control and release the winds of the world. With a rich, layered soundtrack, composed by vocalist and taonga pūoro artist Ariana Tikao and Paddy Free of Pitch Black fame, Onepū is a meditation on the different qualities brought to us on the winds of each these mighty atua wahine.

Atamira Dance Company is one of Aotearoa’s leading dance companies with a long legacy in the creation and presentation of high-quality Māori contemporary dance theatre, bringing stories to the stage, nationally and internationally, that reflect the unique whakapapa and land of Aotearoa.

Friday evening’s performance will be immediately followed by a special Q&A with the artists.

These performances are presented in collaboration with Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa.