Indian and Māori cultures come together on stage
Photo:
Sajith Photography
The Hawke's Bay Indian Cultural Centre (HBICC) is marking its 10th anniversary with a special performance that fuses Indian and Māori cultural traditions.
Titled Wairua Paani, the show blends Indian classical and Bollywood dance with te ao Māori storytelling.
The performance will take place at the Toitoi Opera House in Hastings on Saturday, 26 April.
This comes after a 2024 Māori and Tamil waiata, Whanaungatanga, about kinship that blends Tamil, English and te reo Māori, which forged a new cross-cultural connection between Indian and Māori communities in New Zealand.
Wairua Paani is a collaboration between HBICC and Wahanui Productions, led by Kristyl Neho and co-director Eunice August-Smith.
It reflects a shared artistic vision of cultural connection and respect.
"I really wanted something that has a connection to New Zealand for our tenth anniversary," said Deepthi Krishna, co-founder and artistic director of HBICC, speaking on RNZ's
Afternoons.
Krishna, who co-founded the centre in 2015 to teach and promote Indian classical dance, arts and cultural activities in the region, draws on her rich background in the art form.
In 2017, HBICC started the annual Music and Dance Event (MADE) for a cause and raised money for organisations such as Cancer Society, Kidney Kids, Heart Kids and Resource HB.
Two years later, the centre launched Krishni Productions and produced a dance drama titled Shakuntala in collaboration with Cook Place Production.
It was followed by two more theatrical productions titled Sita Unsung and Takshaka-King of the Snakes.
"I learned dance for ten years in India, and in 2018 I was also a contestant on TV3's The Great NZ Dance Masala," she said.
Over the past decade, HBICC has staged six major productions and four community dance dramas.
But Wairua Paani is its most ambitious work yet.
"The title blends two languages - wairua in te reo Māori means 'spirit', and paani in Hindi means 'water', so together the title speaks to the spiritual and emotional depth of the show," Krishna explained.
"In both cultures, water is sacred, so it heals and cleanses and that's where Wairua Paani comes from," Krishna added.
Bringing together two rich cultural worlds wasn't without its challenges.
"The challenge was doing it together not just mixing things but to create something that is respected by both sides… we wanted both cultures to shine," she said.
"So it wasn't easy, but it was honest. The strength of the show comes from deep respect, spiritually, emotionally and artistically and that's what make Wairua Paani different," Krishna noted.
She said the creative process required deep respect, collaboration, and a willingness to learn from one another.
"It was important to do it right - to listen, learn, and work together to create something meaningful," Krishna said.
The show will feature Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, alongside kapa haka and waiata, offering audiences a unique experience of cultural unity through performance.
"Together we created something that honours both cultures with care and integrity," she said.
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