Photo: Taurite
For all round performing powerhouse Kura Te Ua dance is at the core of who she is. A performer of twenty years, Kura grew up surrounded by kapa haka in a Black Power family in the village of Ōtāhuhu. For Kura dance is a means of turning a life around, and not just her own. Today she makes good things happen for rangatahi. Kura's passion is haka theatre. She is co-founder of award-winning Māori contemporary dance and haka theatre collective Hawaiki TŪ, which turns ten years old this year.
Kura is also the driving force behind the exciting and evocative show Taurite, which opens in Auckland next month, mixing traditional kapa haka with western and contemporary dance, choreographed by a who's who of the heavyweights of contemporary dance. Kura takes a break from rehearsals to speak with Susie Ferguson.
