Louise is the video designer and choreographer for this ground breaking collaboration with Atamira Dance Company artists, acclaimed composer Paddy Free, scenographic artist Rowan Pierce, and lighting designer Robert Larsen. 

Ka Tiri o te Moana addresses the urgent issue of sea level rise due to Antarctic ice melt, and the profound impact of climate change on communities, both locally and globally.


Ka Tiri o te Moana also explores Kāi Tahu relationships with Te Moana Tāpokopoko a Tāwhaki - the Southern Ocean and Ka Tiri o te Moana - Antarctica and  takes inspiration from the Kāi Tahu kōrero tuku iho of Tamarereti. Mesmerised by the Southern Lights Tamarereti captained the waka Te Rua o Maahu into the Southern Ocean in search of their source, spending many months at sea. Ka Tiri o te Moana honours Tamarereti as an agent for change and how his curiosity and courage inspires hapū in present day climate action and adaptive responses to sea level rise.

To learn more about this work please visit:
https://atamiradance.co.nz/our-work/ka-tiri-o-te-moana

Ka Tiri o te Moana

Filmed on location in the Te Hākari wetlands of Kuku and the Ōtaki region, HINA springs from the creative vision of Ngāti Tukorehe dance artist Dolina Wehipeihana in collaboration with celebrated Kāi Tahu  video artist Louise Pōtiki Bryant.

Rooted in the powerful story of Te Hākari wetland restoration, HINA is a bold and moving work that blends dance film and live performance.

Through an immersive weaving of contemporary dance, video design, mātauranga Māori, and environmental science, HINA honours the deep ties between wāhine and whenua - celebrating whakapapa, kaitiakitanga, and the strength of ancestral knowledge.


HINA

Louise  has been the video designer for three dance productions by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, including 

 by Santee Smith is a women’s renewal ceremony. Conceived through an Indigenous creation process, it’s a spiritual resurgence, a piecing together of shards of knowledge, tipping colonialism on its head. The performance touches and moves forward through themes of dislocation from land, body and voice, the history of violence against Indigenous women since contact, residential schools, assimilative process of Canada's Indian Act towards reclaiming women’s medicine, power and connection to land and creative force.

Founded in 2005 by Artistic Director Santee Smith, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre's home community is 

(Six Nations of the Grand River) and home city is Tkarón:to’/Toronto, ON.

To see more about Kaha:wi Dance Theatre  go to:  https://www.kahawidance.org/

Re-Quickening

The multimedia Bird Like Men performances bring together the artistry of Tararua - an ensemble of four established artists - Al Fraser, Ariana Tikao, Ruby Solly and Phil Boniface;  each leaders in their fields, along with visual artist, Louise Pōtiki Bryant. 

Louise created a one hour video work to accompany Tararua in the performances of 

For Bird Like Men, Tararua’s music and Louise’s video design both draw inspiration from Ana Whakairo / Māori rock art depictions of bird people at the Maerewhenua site in Otago, whānau manuscripts of Tīkao and kōrero from Kāi Tahu Whānui. 

 is a contemplation on migration and travel and the deeply embedded desire that draws us to return to our spiritual homelands.

This 2 minute video of moments from the video design is edited to an excerpt from the instrumental track Aroraki by Tararua. Aroraki serves as a sonic fly-over of Te Waipounamu, as well as a tribute to Hinearoraki, atua wahine of flight, and mother of Māui.

Bird Like Men

Louise  has been the video designer for many productions by Atamira Dance Company including 

 draws upon the whakapapa of Atamira Dance Company’s 21 years and is inspired by the symbology of the Octopus as kaitiaki. This full-length work was collectively created by leading artists of Māori contemporary dance. Solo and ensemble movement expressions occur within a shape shifting world of floating black silk and mesmeric video, sound, costume and lighting design.

“Atamira Dance Company continues to offer us complex, significantly crafted contemporary Māori dance." Megan Seawright, Theatreview 21 April 2021

Te Wheke

Louise has designed video for all her solo dance works including Pūheke ("to flow") her solo work which emerged out of her personal journey towards healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) / Māuiui whakaauau.

As part of her healing journey Louise has utilised mindful illustration and movement tools inspired by the movement of water and atua wāhine (female deities / ancestors) from Te Ao Māori. In the creation of a drawing, Louise allows her thoughts to flow like water in time with each line drawn on a page. Over time her thoughts quieten and transmute into the drawing itself. Pūheke is inspired by this flow.

To create the video design for Pūheke Louise developed animations from her drawings.

Pūheke is also inspired by mauri which in Te Ao Māori is the life force, animating energy and essential quality of a being or entity. Pūheke is an expression of Louise’s mauri evolving and transforming over time.