Lick My Past / āhua
This work was made by Collaborators Nancy Wijohn and Kelly Nash for Tempo Dance Festival and the Kia Mau Festival NZ.
Audience descriptions
‘Āhua was a timely reminder of the wit, finesse, power and wisdom of women. It reminded me of my Father's seven cackling sisters, to the generosity and intellect of both my Grandmothers. The statements were bold and irreverent, cheeky and purposeful. That feeling you get when you want to be teased or enticed. It takes great skill and rhythm to be comedic, and I felt this sang with confident pace throughout the work. The musical choices were inspired and delightful, displaying the rich depth of knowledge and capacity for expression amongst the creative team. The grandeur of Beethoven was equally at home with the delicate Ostinato by Philip Glass. I found myself seamlessly transported into sensuous and sensitive intimacy throughout, often without realising I had been newly transported from moment to moment. The lighting utilised black and darkness as a bright canvas of play, question and statement. The opening strip of light, whether curtain or crevice, simultaneously birthed the naivety of newness and the certainty and wisdom of experience. I loved the relationships and exploration of interaction between dancers, in style and conversation. It felt like being let into a very personal but universal truth. The moments when we speak past each other, where language interferes with intent and vice versa, and conversely the epic peaks of joy where all the elements converge to make a perfect and often unrepeatable experience.’ Tama Waipara
‘Āhua I am told is to form, to shape, to make. This Āhua that is Kelly Nash and Nancy Wijohn's duet for TEMPO holds kinaesthetic memories, sensory histories and reflections that on this audience member generated many images and feelings. Knowing these two performers well I discovered new dimensions, new angles to their stellar partnership in this inter-disciplinary choreography. Narratives of performance played out through their moving identities humorously, poignantly, affectively. These were at times playful and knowing, a kind of ironical comment on the nature of performance itself, being in and out of the light, exhausting the possibilities of a movement posture, taking stuff off and getting 'it' on through schmaltzy dancing. They extended their bodies through the use of mirrors in a surreal duet of fragmented body parts and remixed bodies reminding me of Francesca Woodman's portraits. The work, through episodes and vignettes captured a rich lexicon of their different movement stories and their partnership. Most significantly though I appreciated seeing two women claim the stage and shape it to their own experiences of the world, our cosmos and inner lives. This experience continues to resonate, shaping memories and creating forms and images in my own imagination well after the lights went down. I hope to see more.’ Carol Brown
Choreographers and Dancers: Kelly Nash and Nancy Wijohn
Dramaturg: Rachel House
AV Design: Rowan Pierce
Choreographic Collaborators: Megan Adams, Daniel Cooper
Costume Collaborator: Tallulah Holly-Massey
Photography: Peter Jennings, Jinki Cambronero, Amanda Billing, Lydia Bittner-Baird
Published reflections: Theatre view Pantograph punch DANZ Theatre view
