100 Winds, Taupo Hau Rau dances with the spirit winds animating Lake Taupo from an artist who grew up there. Presents a meditative and a turbulent essay, which intertwine and dance around the reductive elements like DNA.
Moss Te Ururangi Patterson from New Zealand Dance Company is the choreographer and spatial designer for this production.
As a preamble prior to the performance, he gives some insight into the ideas and themes of 100 Winds.
Growing up around the massive central lake. Receiving stories and oral history as related by family and extended whanau. An uncle is honoured specifically.
Initiated into his Māori culture and history. The idea of spiritual existence materialising into physical presence with the distinct voices of these myriad winds.
They blow ripples across the waves. They may howl and wail. Announce their presence in an eerie shiver. The elements of primordial sound.
Patterson relates a story of meeting composer Philip Glass in America. Discussing this project with the famous American composer and pioneer of Minimalist music. Being told by Glass to remain true to yourself.
Themes as related in the program are of constant flux and change. The wind carries the codes of the past, the glorious present, and the divine future. To live in the natural world, you must learn to ride through the rough to get to the calm.
Chamber Music New Zealand commences its 2025 season with 100 Winds, the New Zealand String Quartet in association with the NZDC.
Three string quartet pieces by Philip Glass and a clapping one by Steve Reich.
Commence with String Quartet No.4 Buczak.
The stage is dark with dim lighting, picking out Peter Clark violin and Gillian Ansell viola. Guest artists Monique Lapins violin, and Matthias Balzat cello.
Melodic drone music as the repetitive cyclical nature draws you in. Rhythm is far more cerebral than corporeal.
American Minimalism shares similarities to modern Metal music. Has its origin in Rock music and now appears to be a maximalisation of minimalism.
When the dance troupe appears and they vocalise, voices can appear strident and aggressive, like hakas. The volume dialled down, of course.
String Quartet No.2 brings on the dancers ‘Isope ‘Akau’ola, Eden Kew, Caterina Moreno and Anya Down.
They come together in pairs more often than solo. Reflect the structure of DNA code pairs. (Similarly, the musicians are paired also).
The one instrument dancers all use sequentially is a purerehua, or a bullroarer. Whirled around the head, the bone or stone piece makes the uncanny sound of large moths fluttering around a large flaming torch.
You can’t see it in the dim light except as a shadow presence.
Wonderfully fluid dance movement, which can get as energetic as Olympic gymnasts.
Instructions from the choreographer to each dancer was to embody the character that would arise. The physicality a reflection of turbulence. Balanced by periods of calm and harmony.
Clapping Music of Steve Reich is simplicity overlaid by meshed polyrhythmic complexity. From handclaps to playing spoons. Indigenous beats that remain light and playful.
String Quartet No.3 Mishima is part of a bigger soundtrack for the Mishima movie directed by Paul Schrader. Who also wrote the fevered script to Taxi Driver for Martin Scorsese.
Maybe the best extended dance piece as the performers seem to tirelessly wind up the energy.
The Wind is the Word.
The String Quartet were in top form tonight. The fluid physicality of the New Zealand Dance Company was provocative whilst being wonderfully lyrical.
Rev. Orange Peel
