Out gay dancers Taiaroa Royal and Taane Mete are no strangers to working together. The pair showcased their premiere work Tama Ma back in 2008 to adoring crowds and rave reviews, both here and in Australia. Now the two men, as part of their group Okareka Dance Company, are returning to the stage with their breathtaking new work Nga Hau E Wha in Wellington.

Eight dancers roam a barren land; the earth cracked and the air hot. Human figures are transformed into unearthly creatures as they travel the world’s winds, its water, its earth and fire . Dancers dare to defy the constraints of earth’s gravity, to burrow into the earthly breast of Papatuanuku, and to bathe equally in her storms and tranquil depths.

Taane Mete and Taiaroa Royal formed Okareka Dance Company in 2007 and since then has successfully managed to fuse contemporary dance with a number of other creative art mediums. Fundamentally guided by Maori beliefs, the new show weaves Maori legend and stories of the four elements into the story.

Taiaroa says, “The inspiration for this show was that the group of people we’re working with are from different cultures. Nga Hau E Wha literally means ‘four winds’, but we have also taken this idea to mean ‘four corners of the earth’. Add into that the earth’s four elements – earth, wind, water and fire – and you’ll see a real mix of intentions played out on stage.”

Nga Hau E Wha will feature eight dancers – four of whom are from the New Zealand School of Dance, one from Unitec and one professional, alongside Taane and Taiaroa.

“Taane and I went through the school of dance and we’ve kept up our connections to the school,” says Taiaroa. “In 2009 we choreographed the school’s end of year show and since then have worked with the school to workshop ideas.

“Taane and I held two workshops last year to talk about ideas for a new work – those ideas became Nga Hau E Wha.

“Working with the school in Wellington prompted our decision to premiere the work there – we have a lot of connections in Wellington, but also, we’re using students from the school; we thought it would be good to have them working in their own environment.”

Accompanying the choreography of Taane and Taiaroa is that of Ross McCormack. A 2001 graduate of the New Zealand School of Dance (with an award for excellence in choreography and acclaimed review for his graduating performance), McCormack has performed with The Royal New Zealand Ballet and recently with Belgium’s Les Ballets C dela B; a company who pride themselves as a “unique mixture of artistic visions”.

Nga Hau E Wha also sees the work of Eden Mulholland (from the NZ band Motocade) creating a stunning soundscape that also features Taonga Puoro musician Alistair Fraser and a waiata from composer Tweedie Waititi. Okareka has also bought together the respected talents of set designer John Verryt, the costume design of Elizabeth Whiting, video and lighting from Mike Hodgson and Paul O Brien and production guru Andrew Malmo helming the show.

“I think Okareka is breaking new ground in contemporary dance and the show is very image-based,” says Taiaroa. “We draw a lot of influence on maori myths, legends and stories. What we’re doing is not necessarily a translation but we look at the legends, take the essence and put them into our work. We’re bringing together a fantastic group of dancers, crew and design people who are all very professional. Our aim is to make a piece that’s world class. And both Taane and I are gay – come out, see us and support us!”

Nga Hau E Wha is playing at Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown in Wellington now. To book, visit www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 TICKETEK (842 538).