Black Grace (New Zealand)

Paradise Rumour is an extension of Ieremia’s Gathering Clouds (2009), a response to an economist’s discussion paper, “Growing Pains: The valuation and cost of human capital and the impact of Pacific migration on the New Zealand economy” (2008). His controversial claims caused significant hurt within the Pacific Island community in Aotearoa, while emboldening those with more xenophobic views. The Human Rights Commission released a review of Dr. Clydesdale’s paper titled “Pacific Peoples in New Zealand; review of the public controversy about a discussion paper on immigration policy and the economic contribution of Pacific migrants to New Zealand”. It found that the paper was poorly researched and prejudiced, Ieremia couldn’t help but feel that the damage had already been done.

The provocation for Paradise Rumour was based on the central question: “how far have we really come since then?”

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The Art of Black Grace 3/5
Explore the intersection of dance and technology with an immersive experience for the whole family. The Art of Black Grace 3/5 combines dance, music, art and video recordings that bring small groups of visitors face-to-face with the dancers of Black Grace, New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance company.
In the span of 30 minutes, the seated audience will be introduced to the work of Black Grace and then interact virtually with Founding Artistic Director, Neil Ieremia, who will teach them the choreography of Handgame, a dance with Samoan cultural roots that Black Grace has performed around the world.
While Handgame is high-energy and percussive – marked by clapping, stomping and clicking – the dance uses simple movement patterns and rhythms, making it accessible for all ages to participate in, with no dance experience necessary.