Maori Culture by John Huria - New Zealand's South Island - page 654

Smith (both have published playscripts available) have toured their works around NZ and
to festivals in the UK.
Music plays an important role in traditional and contemporary Maori culture.
Contemporary Dance
Contemporary Maori dance often takes its inspiration from kapa haka (cultural dance) and
traditional Maori imagery. The exploration of pre-European life also provides inspiration.
For example, a Maori choreographer, Moss Patterson, used kokowai (a body-adorning
paste made from reddish clay and shark oil) as the basis of his most recent piece of the
same name.
NZ's leading specifically Maori dance company is the Atamira Dance Collective
( www.atamiradance.co.nz ) , which has been producing critically acclaimed, beautiful and
challenging work since 2000. If that sounds too earnest, another choreographer to watch
out for is Mika Torotoro, who happily blends kapa haka , drag, opera, ballet and disco into
his work. You can check out clips of his work at www.mika.co.nz .
The first NZ hip-hop song to become a hit was Dalvanius Prime's 'Poi E', which was sung entirely in
Maori by the Patea Maori Club. It was the highest-selling single of 1984 in NZ, outselling all international
artists.
Maori Film-Making
Although there had already been successful Maori documentaries ( Patu! and the Tangata
Whenua series are brilliant, and available from some urban video stores), it wasn't until
1987 that NZ had its first fiction feature-length movie by a Maori director with Barry
Barclay's Ngati . Mereta Mita was the first Maori woman to direct a fiction feature, with
Mauri (1988). Both Mita and Barclay had highly political aims and ways of working,
which involved a lengthy pre-production phase, during which they would consult with and
seek direction from their kaumatua (elders). Films with significant Maori participation or
control include the harrowing Once Were Warriors and the uplifting Whale Rider . Oscar-
shortlisted Taika Waititi, of Te Whanau-a-Apanui descent, wrote and directed Eagle vs
Shark and Boy.