Hot off the heels of the Venice Biennale Danza and The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave, acclaimed choreographer OliMathiesen (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Manu) brings his distinctive voice in this first full-length commission by Atamira Dance Company — the tuakana platform for Māori contemporary dance.
A bold takatāpui rebirth of the Village People, YMCĀ parallels the pop culture icons through a cast caught between character and confession; a discography of performed identities that interrogate the archetypes, the macho men, and the staging of queerness and indigeneity. 1970s luxe meets 18th-century bloodshed — a disco interior with a cultural inferior.
Alluring, camp-soaked, and unapologetically original, YMCĀ invites audiences into a world where appropriation has never looked so good.
Please note: Contains nudity, sexual references, mature themes, possible haze/smoke/strobe, sudden loud noises.
Presented as part of Tempo Dance Festival 13–18 October 2026. For the full programme visit: www.tempodancefestival.co.nz
With the natural basic waltz as a point of departure, dancers converge through clouds of thought and matter. Body as barometer.
From the creator behind Slip (2024).
What happens when the cypher falls off axis?
Drawing from Hip Hop culture and freestyle practice, this work explores uncertainty, instinct and the search for new ways to move together.
When It Is Finished explores embodied knowledge with Narrm Melbourne-based Deanne Butterworth; while GLIMMER is a choreographic meditation exploring the trajectory of transgender time from our own val smith.
