A Kapa Haka Tale – the man bringing NZ culture to the Rugby World Cup 3 Aug 2015
Charlotte Everett
Related articles
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- 28 Years in the Making and Wasn’t it Worth It!!! Sport
- Sick leave expected to increase during World Cup Sport
- Environmental edge to Auckland’s RWC 2011 prep Sport
- Authentic Kiwi hospitality for 2011 rugby fans Property
- Unique website launched for Rugby World Cup Sport
- B&Bs advised against highly inflated tariffs Sport
- New Zealand 2011 Business Club launched Business
- Jack aware of challenges to get back into Crusaders Sport
- Rugby celebrates Eric Tindill's 99th birthday Sport
New Zealander Corey Baker is bringing Kiwi culture and kapa haka to Britain’s shores and people –all wrapped up in the excitement of the Rugby World Cup. Kapa Haka Tale and Haka Day Out will tour UK-wide during the world cup, showing the locals that there’s more to Haka and New Zealand than the All Blacks.
Originally from a drama background, Corey Baker has been a dancer and choreographer for some time – forging a reputation for making accessible and engaging productions. “I don’t do dance for dance’s sake,” he explains. “Our shows are put on mainly outdoors. National theatres are expensive, whereas I make great art more accessible by putting things outside.”
Having been in the UK for four years, Baker was starting to realise that he was becoming more stereotypically “British”. He wanted to connect more with his New Zealand roots, so he proactively sought out the New Zealand community in the UK. “The UK doesn’t really celebrate culture,” Baker remarked, “so it was refreshing to see this amazing group of New Zealanders celebrating kapa haka. We have an amazing culture. I’m from New Zealand, and I don’t know a huge amount about New Zealand culture – so what about people in the UK? I did some research about what people know, and it’s really only the Lord of the Rings and the All Blacks. And the All Blacks is what they know of the Haka”.
“I asked myself, why am I not taking responsibility to do this?” There was the opportunity to create a show. The British already know something of the haka through the All Blacks, so the Rugby World Cup seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring New Zealand culture to England.
Baker then returned to New Zealand for a period of research, and to train in kapa haka and find a story or narrative. “Just having a medley of kapa haka on stage is not that exciting,” he explains, “and other people are already doing that anyway. I wanted to create something where the audience can follow and understand the art form – and engage with it.”
He travelled all around New Zealand, and it was in Rotorua that he came across an animation of the Maori tale of Hinemoa and Tutanekai, by Andy Shaw. “The animation was so beautifully done,” Baker reflects, “I then learnt the story and fell in love with it. I cancelled everything else to really explore the story, their marae, the rock where Hinemoa sat, I met and spoke with direct descendents, and explored loads of different versions of the tale.”
And so, Kapa Haka Tale was born. It has developed into a theatre show, just over an hour long, and will tour art festivals as well as theatres all around to UK – in addition to staging the free outdoor 20 minute performance called Haka Day Out in Rugby World Cup Fan Zones in 11 host cities. It’s a unique opportunity to share New Zealand and Maori culture with rugby and sports fans, and it’s Baker’s hope that they will be intrigued enough to want to experience more – with tickets to the longer show that same evening or matinee being available. Each theatre will individually determine the cost Kapa Haka Tale tickets, but the price range will be between £6 to £12 – making theatre more accessible and appealing to people who are maybe put off by the higher prices theatre is typically known for. “In the Fan Zones it will already be a populated crowd,” Baker says, “and these are perhaps not the same crowds that come to see shows, dance or theatre – so I’m very excited to engage with them, and hopefully make the art more accessible to them. The whole idea is to excite and engage with these sports fans.”
“And I’m really excited about the geographical spread of this going so wide. We’re taking this to areas where people usually miss out. Not just London! I’m really looking forward to it.”
The theatre show has a central cast of 8, forging a powerful connection with the audience and the performer. Kapa Haka Tale aspires to engage with the local community and rugby groups, using haka to open the show, and incorporating a plenty of rugby moves into the production. Cameo appearances will be made by important players in host cities.
Haka Day Out tours have already commenced and will continue until November, with Kapa Haka Tale premiering on the same day that the Rugby World Cup opens. A behind-the-scenes of Kapa Haka Tale and Maori culture is planned for UK broadcast, and Baker hopes to take the production on a tour of New Zealand at a later date – once rest, timing and funding allows.
The productions are still not entirely funded, and Corey Baker Dance has set up a Kickstarter campaign, hoping to raise the last 10% of funding – with only a few days to go. If you’d like to get involved and contribute to the Kapa Haka story, visit the Kickstarter campaign here.
Lead image credit: Ria Uttridge by Andrew Fox for Birmingham Weekender
About the interviewer:
Charlotte Everett has been contributing to NZNewsUK as a columnist and journalist since 2011, and currently serves as London Editor – a post she has held since mid-2013. She has been based in London since mid-2007 and is an active member of London’s Kiwi community, also serving as Vice President of the NZ Society UK. She has a broad writing portfolio, including music/entertainment, theatre reviews, travel, rugby, Kiwi success, vegan food, and WW100/ANZAC. She is also an experienced freelance tour guide, and leads city walks across London several times a week. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook or WordPress.
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more