Today we return to our discussion with Louise Potiki-Bryant, a dancer, choreographer and video artist who was KDT’s first ever Choreographic Intern. She also happens to be of Maori descent and lives on a beautiful beach outside of Auckland called Piha…
You are an independent filmmaker/video artist. Do you find that these two art practices complement each other or that you’re using totally different skills?
They do complement each other in that the way I compose shots in my video art is very similar to how I compose my choreography. However as art forms they have a very different use of the body. When I’m working on my video work, I spend long hours…sitting at a computer…. I need to remember to look after my body through things like yoga…more and more I am aiming to find a process which is more integrated so that I can have a dance, video and art practice which all come from the same place. I want to use my body’s experiences as dancer and as a performer to inspire my art and video and vice versa. I have found some interesting ideas and ways into this approach during this internship, but I am still working on and developing this methodology. It’s an exciting process for me.
How does what you’ve seen of the dance community and work in Toronto compare to Auckland or New Zealand in general?
It seems a very similar community back home as to the [one] here. It is probably a much smaller community in New Zealand but it seems as though we all face the same issues to do with funding, studio space etc. There is definitely more to choose from here in relation to workshops and classes, but we have a pretty robust and committed community and quite strong Maori Contemporary dance community back home as well.
What do you particularly like about Toronto so far? Like less?
I have loved the convenience of living in a city with great public transport. In New Zealand I live in a small beach side town 45 minutes away from Auckland (the largest city in New Zealand), so back home I do a lot of commuting which is hard after a while. Also in Auckland City the public transport is not as great.
People seem really lovely here. I really like the food, the shopping and the architecture. Also squirrels were a new phenomenon for me. There’s nothing like that back home. In Aotearoa we have birds – a lot of beautiful birds.
However I’m looking forward to going back to the summer of New Zealand. It will be absolutely beautiful where I live. The beach at Piha is stunning. It’s a black sand beach with a great surf, stunning bush walks and waterfalls. Also there will be a lot of wonderful outdoor festivals to look forward to. Yay!!
Tell us about Atamira dance collective, the collective you dance and choreograph with…
Atamira Dance Collective began in 2000. It was the brainchild of Jack Gray who wanted to create a platform for young Maori dancers and choreographers who are all training in contemporary dance. We started fairly grass roots but have grown and developed over the years. Atamira create dance works inspired by Aotearoa’s (New Zealand’s) history, creation stories and contemporary issues; as well as drawing from our own personal stories and whakapapa (genealogy). Atamira is a project-based contemporary dance collective, which encourages innovation and experimentation in contemporary dance and choreography, whilst respecting our cultural heritage. Atamira Dance Collective is an Auckland based company, but we individually have connections with different iwi (tribes) around New Zealand. We incorporate other art forms into our process, and collaborate with other artists. .
What should we do when we finally visit you in Auckland? 
You should come and stay with me where I live in Piha. It’s a beautiful black sand beach with beautiful bush walks, waterfalls, and amazing surf – if you’re into surfing (as I mentioned above). It’s really a magical place to live and close enough to Auckland (45min drive) to rehearse and work with dancers there. It has a great community of people with a local vibe, and a lot of artists. It’s summer there now so it will be hot when I get back. Can you tell I’m just a wee bit home sick! But just a wee bit, because I am absolutely enjoying my time here in Toronto as well as traveling to Six Nations with Santee. I feel a little bit overwhelmed to have had this experience and opportunity here with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre and I hope we can keep the connection going into the future!
Also there are so many other things you should do when you come to New Zealand – mostly experiencing the beauty the landscape has to offer…we have mountains, volcanoes, hot pools and hot mud! The landscape and the weather is so diverse – as diverse as it’s people, so there’s something for everyone. I truly feel so lucky to come from Aotearoa (New Zealand). I feel there are many comparisons to Canada, in that there is such a beautiful landscape here as well. The land here is so much more vast though – it blows me away. I think New Zealanders are very similar to Canadians also in that we are generally considered friendly people and we apologise a lot too!!
Your question and answer here!
When am I coming back to Toronto? I hope to come back to Toronto for a visit in May/June 2011. I would love to see the premiere performance of ‘Transmigration’ and to see everyone again!
We would love to have you Lou so don’t wait too long! The weather will be better too if you come back for the Spring Premiere of TransMigration – tentatively scheduled for April 2011.