2019
Copper Promises: Hinemihi Haka by Victoria Hunt
See the printed matter: Show Flyer / Show Program
See the event web page
It was Patti Shaughnessy who told us about Victoria Hunt and we are forever thankful. She told us about Djuki Mala too, and as a result curated both of these Australian-based dance programs in the 2018-2019 season. Patti had recently travelled to Australia, in part to discover artists that might be a good fit for Public Energy. Both were great successes in different ways: Djuki Mala was a brash commercial success with a nearly sold out show at the 640-seat Showplace Performance Centre, while Victoria Hunt’s visceral solo dance performance Copper Promises: Hinemihi Haka was a stunning artistic success in the intimate setting of the Market Hall.
A large part of Copper Promises’ impact was due to the sophisticated imagery and soundscape created by Victoria’s collaborators: lighting by Clytie Smith, sound by James Brown and video/lighting by Boris Bagattini. All three artists travelled with the show to see that the multi-media effects were fully realized on tour, with stops at Vancouver’s PuSh Festival and the National Arts Centre in addition to Peterborough. The accompanying video clip was chosen to give an idea of this collaboration.
At the heart of the work of course is Victoria Hunt herself, who is of partly Maori descent. Her training is in the demanding practice called BodyWeather, a synthesis of eastern and western practice and thought that draws from martial arts, dance, theatre and kinesiology which sprung out of the Japanese Butoh movement. She graciously hosted a 3-hour BodyWeather workshop during her brief stay in Peterborough, so that the full impact of this world-class artist was felt on a group of local performers as well as audiences.
-Bill Kimball
