Te Arawa, Kai Tahu, Ngati Raukawa
Dancer/Artistic Director/Choreographer
Taiaroa trained at the New Zealand School of Dance, graduating in 1984. He has since performed with major dance companies both at home and abroad, including The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Douglas Wright and Dancers, Michael Parmenter’s Commotion Company, Black Grace, Orotokare and Atamira Dance Company. Tai has successfully choreographed many high profile events across Australasia including the Brancott Estate World of Wearable Arts Awards in Wellington, Auckland’s Christmas in the Park and over the past 3 years has choreographed operas for NZ Opera. Tai is also part of the teaching faculty at the UNITEC Bachelor of Performing Screen Arts, and has taught at The New Zealand School of Dance as well as many private dance schools. In 2007, along with dance colleague, Taane Mete, he started OKAREKA DANCE COMPANY (www.okareka.com), a collaborative company working with many different artists in various art forms.
Adding to his artistic bow, Tai has begun a singing career. He is one of the fa’aafafine singing trio ‘Hymnchidivah’, has done backing vocals for Annie Crummer, Tama Waipara and Maree Sheehan and is part of the singing trio – PASH – with Jackie Clarke.
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