Tiki Taane

Tiki Taane Mahuta

After weeks of planning and organization, 10 dwtn attended a performing arts show at Aotearoa Centre.The organization was well executed and the students were excellent ambassadors for Tamaki College. The purpose of the outing was to add meaning and value to being in a class that provides the students with a positive connection to their roots. This strong connection to culture was also offered during a stay over at the Marae, building a classroom website and facebook page, designing a hoodie and many other culturally appropriate activities to create identity, belonging and a sense of pride. The ultimate outcome is to encourage improved academic results for all the students through collaboration and a cohesive environment.

Tiki Taane, one of New Zealand’s leading musicians, performed with Sam from Shapeshifters. It combined Kapa Haka with modern dancing, hip hop with taihiha, acting and high wire aerials. With Tiki’s two albums as a music score, a storyline similar to a ballet developed to connect all the elements. Old and new were fused, and Maori plus other cultures were blended into one seamless production. The underlying theme of the show was, that if you have Whakapapa, it cannot be taken away. A sub-theme, adding great meaning, was the fact that we all needs a support system or a community to catch us when we fall.The music, aerials and shadow dancers were world class and made the show something to remember for a long time.

After the show a very informative question and answer session was held where the details and ideas of the production were discussed. The highlight of the show was the spontaneous kapa haka from some schools to show their appreciation, followed by a kapa haka response from the performers on stage.

After the show the students explored their thoughts about the show in class and created a blog about their experience. It was a very successful outing, achieving many cultural and academic goals. The students are very grateful to Fire Kata for making this idea a reality and expressed a big thank you to Tamaki College for providing this fantastic event.