Ko Te Ākau, by New Zealand-based dance artist Charles Koroneho, explores the formation of new spaces, the performance of Indigenous languages, poetry and ancestral bodies. The hope of a poetic land, water and sky is the horizon carried by the project, where optimism and guidance of a human being in ceremonial performance places our imagination amongst the cosmos. A vehicle for past, present and future presences, Ko Te Ākau transports us through remembrance, acknowledgement and aspiration.

MOA artist-in-residence Charles Koroneho is an independent artist working in the fields of performance and culture. He is the lead creative, collaborative director and researcher of Te Toki Haruru, a conceptual platform created to explore Indigenous creativity, cultural collaboration and the intersection between dance, theatre, visual arts and design.

The Dancers of Damelahamid, in partnership with MOA and the Anvil Centre, present the 18^th annual Coastal Dance Festival. The Festival is a celebration of the stories, songs and dances of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast with guest national and international artists. The Festival brings Indigenous artists together to share and support one another in a celebration of lived artistic practices. Guest national and international artists have connected the festival with a global community of Indigenous dance.

Please note: The Haida House is outside on the MOA grounds. Visitors should dress accordingly for outdoor weather.

Ko Te Ākau Schedule

• Installation open to the public | 11 am–5 pm
• Performance | 1–3 pm
• Artist talk | 4–5pm

• Installation open to the public | 11 am–5 pm
• Performances | 1–3 pm + 3–5 pm

• Installation open to the public | 12–7 pm
• Performances | 12–2 pm + 5–7 pm

Ko Te Ākau is presented through the Rua I Te partnership with Te Toki Haruru, Dancers of Damelahamid, Coastal Dance Festival and Vancouver International Dance Festival.

Ko Te Ākau creative team: Direction: Charles Koroneho | Design: Brad Gledhill, Rachel Marlow | Digital production: Rīhari Te Are | Production: Teokotai Paitai, Tony Black, Stella Grace Seawright | Sound: Horomona Horo, Jeremy Mayall, Te Toki Haruru | Performance: Chris Graham, Samara Davis, Rosie Te Rauawhea Belvie, Eddie Elliot, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Victoria Hunt, Charles Koroneho

The Coastal Dance Festival takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the qəyqəyt (Qayqayt), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ʷainƛ̓ən (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) peoples.