Tango Huaranga: Removed, Replanted

Denesa Chan – Quique Miller

Two expats (Argentinian + Chinese/Swedish American), two hemispheres, two gender expressions, two queer sexualities, two native languages, two acquired languages, two native habitats. Belonging and identity are tied to the land, the hapori: local community, and layers of cultural meaning which birthed and housed us. Through multimedia dance/film/music/photography research, we excavate our dance practices (Tango, contemporary dance, contact improvisation and traditional Chinese somatic arts), to explore themes of identity, assimilation, gender, decolonization, ecology and equality and discover what happens to an individual, a community, an ecosystem, and a language when humans migrate and become both insiders and outsiders to te taiao: the natural environment and te hapori whānui: the wider community.

And I sat, with my feelings on my skin
As they invited me in
And I listened, with feelings in my soul
As their emotions seeped in
And I watched, as feelings leaked from my eyes
In undisguised
Awe at their invitation
To engage, to bear witness
To the courage of their dance
For this precious chance
An unanticipated cacophony of emotions
Gifted and received
Felt and believed

-Audience feedback from “Emerging Wordsmith”

To connect each other we needed to find ourselves first

Met every day with our
vulnerability ,

Sharing our history ,

Discovering the rhythm of the
pulse

Breathing as one

Impulsing each other
crossing paths and walking at
the same time

Learning a lot …

Thrusting the process
Understanding the moments

DENESA CHAN QUIQUE MILLER

Credits:
Photo #1: Screenshot from Ōnewa Pa, a film by Denesa Chan in collaboration with
Quique Miller
Photo #2: by Denesa Chan
Photo #3: by Fern King of the showing
Photo #4: by Fern King of the showing
Photo #5: by Fern King of the showing featuring a solo film by Denesa Chan
Photo #6: by Fern King of the showing
Photo #7: by Fern King of the showing featuring a solo by Quique Miller with a
projected nature photograph by Denesa Chan
Photo #8: by Fern King of our showing
Photo #9: by Denesa Chan

Tango Huaranga: Removed, Replanted

Tango Huaranga: Removed, Replanted