These are 20-minute performances daily at 10.30am, 11.15am, and 12.30pm.

“Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua”
“I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on the past.”

Experience a unique movement response to the exhibition Mataaho: Te Puni Aroaro choreographed by Te Rau Oriwa Mitchell. Intertwined are stories and narratives of the past and present, the journey one takes to discover herself to define herself. Tuku Iho encourages you to find your connection, your vision, and your light.
 
Performances are approximately 20 minutes and move throughout the gallery.
 
Presented in partnership with Kia Mau Festival. 

About Te Rau Oriwa
A graduate of Whitireia Polytechnic NZ, Te Rau Oriwa is a practitioner of Maori, Pacific and contemporary dance and theatre. As a dancer she has toured throughout Europe, the United States and Asia performing at International Festivals as a student and graduate of Whitireia Performing Arts from 2011–2018.

After graduating in 2013 she went on to work with Jandals Inc. alongside Taofi Mose playing the lead role as Sina Taufua in the show ‘Impact’. She has worked with New Zealand Artist Suzanne Tamaki alongside Wellington City Council modelling her amazing garments and was a model and dancer for the world-renowned show ‘World of Wearable Arts’.

Te Rau has been involved in the development of Le Mau ‘Not Stuck’ and ‘Tangi Lima’ choreographed and directed by Jasmine Leota which both were showcased at the Pacific dance festival and choreographic lab. Te Rau has been a part of the creative team at Le Moana Dance Company since 2014 featuring in their first works ‘Fatu Na Toto’ for the San Diego International Fringe Festival and ‘1918’ by Le Moana premiered in Wellington in 2015 and then toured to Auckland, Hamilton, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in 2016. The US tour of 1918; at the San Diego International Fringe Festival saw Le Moana awarded with the ‘critics choice’ and ‘top box office’ awards. In 2017 Le Moana presented Purple Onion in the Kia Mau festival which Te Rau also featured in. Measina Festival 2017 Te Rau was one of three choreographers for the production “Watercress Tuna and the children of Champion street” based on the book written by Patricia Grace. Cannons Creek School an underrepresented community of children proudly performed this production and were the highlight of the festival that year. Te Rau Oriwa has also been among the production team and helped produce the annual Measina Festival.

2018 Le Moana returned to the USA touring all over the west coast including Mexico, with Te Rau playing the lead role in ‘Fatu Na Toto’. Kia Mau Festival 2019 Te Rau Oriwa was one of three that were chosen to develop a short snippet of work that showcased during the festival as part of the choreographic lab. Her work ‘E Kui’ was based on the matriarchs of her family which was dedicated to her Grandmother Arihia Te Huanui Taurua.
Her newly developed work ‘Hononga’ was also featured in the 2019 Pacific Dance choreographic lab in Wellington and was chosen to feature in the Pacific Dance Festival 2020 at Mangere Art Centre in Auckland. 

February 2020 Te Rau Oriwa is working alongside some of New Zealand’s finest artist to produce and run workshops for the Te Ata Festival in Porirua, which is the first of its kind and is apart of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts. Due to the epidemic, covid restrictions and having another child Te Rau Oriwa has only just returned to the Arts alongside Le Moana who showcased their recent development show as part of Taranaki Womad Festival 2023.
Te Rau Oriwa is honoured to take part in Kia Mau Festival once again, she will be preparing a work alongside other local artist to respond to the collective work created by the powerful mana wāhine project currently showcasing at Te Papa, Te Puni Aroaro by Mata Aho Collective. 

‘He orange tuku iho’ is a new development that Intertwines the stories and narratives of the past and present, and the journey one takes to discover herself to define herself. This piece encourages you to find your connection, your vision, and your light.

Caption

Tuku Iho, 2023. Image by Clive Mitchell-Bristowe