My mother, my muse

Ballet dancing and tikanga Māori don’t usually go hand in hand, but for Kiwi creative Merenia Gray, the two have always been closely linked.

And now the dancer, choreographer and multi-disciplinary artist has created a groundbreaking work about karanga, the traditional call performed by wāhine to welcome visitors on to marae. It’s a deeply personal project for the 52-year-old, whose mother Tiahuia was one of this country’s most respected and revered kaikaranga (karanga performer).

In fact, Merenia remembers her mother welcoming Fleetwood Mac as they arrived in Wellington 40 years ago, as well as the Dalai