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Taiaroa Royal may have moved back home to Rotorua, but as one of our most prolific dancers and choreographers, the move has not slowed his quest to take Aotearoa’s dance to the stages of the world. 

Tai of  Te Arawa, Kai Tahu and Ngāti Raukawa grew up on the family farm located on the idyllic shores of Lake Ōkāreka near Rotorua. Like many of his generation, though, school was tough. “It was traumatic. Growing up gay, I was bullied a lot.” High school was easier than primary school on the bullying front but came with its own challenges. “Rotorua Lakes High was a heartbreaking place as I developed crushes on so many of my high school peers!” 

However, Tai would soon realise his true passion was dance! “I knew when I was young, I loved to dance. It was my happy place.” Growing up in the 70’s, the obvious place for Tai to channel his talents was the disco dance floor. 

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Tai won many disco dance championships, which solidified his resolve to make dance a career, and he auditioned for the New Zealand School of Dance in 1981. He tells us that relocating to study in Wellington in 1982 “was a wonderful experience, where I found I had a gift to tell stories through dance. I also made many lifelong friends while studying there.” 

After completing his studies, Tai’s career took off and saw him working with many of NZ’s dance luminaries. He was soon being sought out to work with companies such as the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Douglas Wright Dance Company and Atamira Dance Company, as well as being a founding member of Black Grace.  

As well as regularly choreographing large productions like New Zealand Opera, World of Wearable Art, Christmas in the Park, music videos and events in the queer community, Tai could also be found teaching at the New Zealand School of Dance and at Unitec Institute of Technology on the Bachelor of Performing Screen Arts. 

Many of these projects have seen him dance on various stages around the world and seen him collaborate with dance companies in the United States on several occasions.  

It was in 2007 that Tai and long-time collaborative partner Taane Mete created their own company, Ōkāreka Dance Company. The realisation of this company allowed them to fully embrace the kaupapa they were truly passionate about, the fusing of authentic Māori and contemporary dance. Tama Ma, Ōkāreka’s premier show, went on to win four Tempo Dance Festival awards, including ‘Spirit of the Festival’, and Metro magazine’s ‘Best in Auckland’ accolade. The show toured extensively to critical acclaim, including Cincinnati, Beijing, The Hague and multiple cities across Australia and Aotearoa. 

Now based back on his tūrangawaewae, the pristine shores of Lake Ōkāreka, its namesake, Ōkāreka Dance Company continues to produce spectacular works and tour globally. “Initially, I came home in 2016 to look after my brother, who had a stroke. He passed away 8 months later, and I stayed to look after the family farm,” says Tai.  

But does running one of the country’s most recognised dance companies from a semi-rural location come with big challenges? “Because my dance company is contract-based, it’s easy for me to run it from Rotorua. I am still touring the world and creating new productions, but creating them from Rotorua now. Since the years of Covid, many artists have found that you can create in isolation. Many rural towns are looked upon as being isolated, but only geographically. For instance, with technologies these days, you can be living in Matamata and choreographing a work for a company in Morocco!” 

Tai now enjoys both touring the world with dance and also getting involved on a local community level. “I have started choreographing for the local musical theatre society,” he tells us.  

His latest stint choreographing for the town is for the local production of Hairspray – The Broadway Musical, which comes hot on the heels of choreographing Rotorua Musical Theatre’s award-winning season of The Colour Purple. 

After four decades of trailblazing work, Tai is starting to get some well-deserved recognition for his artistic contributions to our nation. In 2023, Tai received an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award, recognising his work in Māori contemporary dance, with the panel commenting, “Soaring through some of the most impactful milestones of the Aotearoa dance whakapapa since 1984, Taiaroa has performed and collaborated as a principle dancer in seminal works that impacted our nation.” 

There certainly doesn’t seem to be any slowing down for Tai. As soon as he has finished choreographing Hairspray – The Broadway Musical, he is taking the show Mana Wahine on a tour of the United States and then heading to Hawaii to hold a workshop for his next production, which will be a collaboration with the Hawaiian Dance Company. 

Tai’s work has effortlessly woven itself into the fabric of the nation’s performing arts landscape. “NZ’s contemporary dance history is becoming more and more rich as the years go on. I am honoured and proud to have been and continue to be a part of this history,” he says.  

Tai continues to lead the charge for local dance practitioners both here and on stages across the globe. We can’t wait to see what more this master innovator has in store for us…. Long live the dance! 

Article | Steven Oates.

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