JADE WHAANGA comes to Santa Fe Art Institute
Dancing Earth celebrates the return of Jade Whaanga to these lands ! An affiliate artist since 2016 from Aotearoa ( New Zealand ) , working with the company in many roles on many live and online projects, we celebrate her selection by SFAI as a 2025 Community of Practice resident . More info here https://sfai.org/residency/thematic-residencies/2025-community-of-practice/
While in New Mexico, she offers MANAAKI : INDIGENOUS CONTEMPORARY DANCE workshops at the Sound Temple and SFAI, please contact JadeEWhaanga@gmail.com for info.
And, she joins Rulan and local community dancers in performance at Wildflower Playhouse in Taos Sept 12-13, including her Moana in Motion workshop Satrday morning
INFO HERE : https://www.dancingearth.org/weavingwaters
Saturday Sept 12, Workshop at Wildflower in Taos Description:
Moana in Motion
Exploring our fluid nature and remembering our relationship to the sacred waters that surround us and are within us. Remembering our connection to the Moana—the sacred ocean that connects all lands and peoples as one—we merge into the rhythm of waves, discovering how our bodies, made mostly of water, naturally respond to the ocean's ancient call. Through gentle waves of movement, we remember that we too are bodies of water in constant flow and change, united by the sacred waters that bind us to each other and to all life.
In this workshop, through fluid, intuitive exploration, we will dive into:
Flow & Fluidity: Embody the water's wisdom of effortless movement
Rhythm & Response: Attune to the natural ebb and flow of life's tides
Depth & Devotion: Connect to the sacred waters within and without
Wave & Witness: Move with the endless dance of ocean and shore
Come experience how the Moana's eternal embrace reminds us of our interconnectedness, as we explore movement that honors both the waters within our bodies and the vast ocean that connects us all. This practice weaves together Māor cultural understanding of our relationship with water and contemporary somatic movement.
BIO: Jade Whaanga, Founder of Nū Collective and SFAI Artist in Residence
Jade Whaanga is an Aotearoa/New Zealand based Indigenous Movement Artist (Director/Choreographer/Performer) of Ngati Rongomaiwahine (Māori) ancestry.
She completed her Masters in Dance Studies at The University of Auckland, Jade's research focuses on re-claiming the indigenous feminine body and healing historical trauma through dance as ritual. Since 2017 she has been facilitating Hui Wāhine (women circles) and Hui Ringatoi (Artist gatherings) at various venues for Nū Collective. Nū Collective creates Indigenous Contemporary Performance Art, 'Embracing Wellness Through Creativity, Culture, and Connection'.