Te Toka-a-Toi

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Event Te Toka-a-Toi
Venue Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Umbrella Event New Zealand International Arts Festival 1994
First Date 11 March 1994
Opening Date 11 March 1994
Last Date 19 March 1994
Dates Estimated No
Status Professional
World Premiere No
Description A Festival within a Festival, Te Toka-aToi is a two week celebration of contemporary and traditional Maori arts. Translated, the title means 'the ancient theme of the arts' and Te Toka-a-Toi will salute the enduring strength and beauty of Maori culture in Aotearoa. For the first time the Festival will present everything from traditional performance and visual arts to contemporary theatre, dance, art, craft, fashion and music in one spectacular season.
Te Toka-a-Toi opens at Shed 1 on 9 March with a Powhiri for the visiting groups. The evening will feature a performance by the famed National Maori Choir with guest soloist Temuera Morrison and musical direction by Rim D Paul. Featured in the concert will be the premiere of the Festival Waiata composed by Hirini Melbourne.
Week One of Te Toka-a-Toi focuses on the traditional. Performances will include Puawaitanga, a dance showcase with Whitireia who have recently returned from a successful tour to Kuala Lumpa, China and Korea. Other guests will include Tama Huata's group Kahurangi. Kahurangi tour regularly around the USA and have recently given their debut performance at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.
The weekend (12-13 March) will be crammed with traditional performances including a series of stunning cultural showcases Toka Ra and Toka Ratapu, featuring Waka Huia (winners of the 1992 Aotearoa Festival who also represented New Zealand at the Seoul and Barcelona Olympics Arts Festivals) and Te Roopu Manutaki led by Dr Pita Sharples. Dr Sharples choreographed the opening section of the 1990 Commonwealth Games which featured 1000 warriors. Also during the daytime there will be displays of taiaha and patu. On Saturday evening, the showcase will enter the realms of the spectacular as all the groups who have performed during the week come together for Toka Tawhito, three and a half hours of music, dance and display.
Week Two is turned over to things contemporary - workshops and performance in dance, theatre a
Description Source Programme
Primary Genre Theatre - Spoken Word
Secondary Genre Dance
Indigenous
Music
Related Events
Organisations
Text Nationality New Zealand
Production Nationality New Zealand
Event Status Completed
Data Source
Source Description
Programme AT: MS Papers 9250-58
Event Identifier 154958
Dataset AusStage