Kura
On this page: About this section | Curriculum links
| Choreography | Moss Patterson |
|---|---|
| Music | Pitch Black's Reptile Room |
| Performers | Footnote Dance |
About this section
This section of the DVD is divided into three subsections:
- edited footage of the process involved in creating the dance work, with comments by the choreographer – 9 minutes 47 seconds
- an interview with Deirdre Tarrant introducing the work – 3 minutes 54 seconds
- a stage performance of the work with costumes and lightings – 8 minutes 45 seconds.
The pathways, shapes, and colours found in kōwhaiwhai patterns provided the inspiration for this dance. Kōwhaiwhai patterns are painted on the heke (rafters) and tahu (ridgepoles) of wharenui (marae meeting houses) and on the bow of certain waka (canoes) or their paddles. The designs represent whakapapa (tribal lineage or genealogy). The traditional colours used in kōwhaiwhai are red, black, and white, and the designs are noted for their reflected, translated, and embellished shapes and pathways.
Five dancers create a constantly changing human kōwhaiwhai. By linking together in many combinations, they weave pathways of spirals and loops to form waves of fluid movement, perhaps also representing the pumping of blood through the body. (Two main meanings of kura are red or glowing. The colour red is often associated with or used as a metaphor for blood.)
Fundamental characteristics of aikido are shown in the choreography of Kura. Aikido (from Japanese, meaning a way of spiritual harmony) is a martial art founded by Ueshiba Morihei in the early twentieth century. It originated from the twelfth century martial art of aikijujutsu and specialises in the subtle use of force rather than the strength and speed required by many other forms of martial art. The motion in aikido emphasises flow, flexibility, and circular movements, and aims to control an opponent with minimal harm, using both physical and spiritual techniques.
Choreographer Moss Patterson was a student of physical theatre in Dunedin before moving to Auckland to study at the Performing Arts School at Unitec. Over the following seven years, he worked with Footnote Dance, Black Grace, Touch Compass, and Atamira Dance Collective. He became a freelance choreographer in 2001 at the age of twenty-five.
Pitch Black is a New Zealand musical group, which first performed in 1997. Paddy Hodgson creates their electronic music, using a wide range of techniques to layer sounds. The group have released several albums, the latest being Ape to Angel in 2004.
You can use Kura as part of your dance programme to illustrate:
- the use of duets and trios
- contact and weight sharing
- the exploration of pathways
- visual art as a stimulus for dance.
Viewing suggestion
We recommend that your students view only the first and/or third subsections. The second subsection is more useful as information for teachers.
You could give your students a copy of this dance recording sheet (Word 120KB) to complete before, during, and after viewing the dance work.
Curriculum links
The suggested activities could contribute to teaching and learning in the following unit and achievement standards (which link to the NZQA website):
Level 1
- AS 90001 Dance 1.1 Compose movement sequences
- AS 90002 Dance 1.2 Perform dance sequences
- AS 90004 Dance 1.4 View, interpret and respond to a dance performance
Level 2
- AS 90293 Dance 2.1 Choreograph a section of dance for a group
- AS 90297 Dance 2.5 Analyse and discuss a dance performance
- US 11500 Explore the making of dance (PDF 16KB)
- US 14876 Experience dance (PDF 13KB)
- US 11497 Demonstrate dance (PDF 16KB)
- US 11501 Investigate dance context (PDF 13KB)
