Mark James Hamilton
n 1992 I completed my MPhil in Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham (UK) where my research explored the holistic processes elaborated by seminal European theatre practitioners Rudolf von Laban, Jerzy Grotowski and Roy Hart. I then moved to Scotland to continue my study of bharatanatyam (South Indian classical dance), which I began in 1987. I also worked at Dance Base, the National Centre for Dance, where I developed programmes for wide range of community and professional dancers. In 1998 I began forging an international link between Dance Base and Maori dancers that led to a series of international collaborations. In 1999, I moved to New Zealand to co-found Torotoro, an urban Māori dance company, creating work fusing indigenous martial performance traditions with hip-hop and burlesque. In 2005, I met Samudra Performing Arts, from Kerala, whilst studying dance in India. I recognized a number of striking parallels between their work and that of Torotoro, both juxtaposing martial and expressive movement practices, and my doctoral research has investigated an emergent genre I call 'martial dance theatre'. My working process today commingles practical and theoretical explorations. At present my physical regime includes participation in judo and ballet training, while my reading centres on the implications of play fighting on the formation of masculine identities, and its value in theatre performance pedagogy.
Bharata Natyam - South Indian Classical Dance & Laban Movement Training.
see attached cv
see attached cv
see attached cv
2010 Pō – Beautiful Darkness, Tribal Pop Opera (Auckland)
2009 Contemporary Bharatanatyam, Classical Indian dance (Christchurch)
2006 Te Mika Show (13 x 60 mins), New Māori dance (Māori Television Service)
2005 United States of Celebration, Indo-Polynesian collaboration (Auckland)
2004 Mika Live (13 x 30 mins), New Māori dance (Māori Television Service)
2000-2004 Mika HAKA, New Māori dance (UK, Australia & NZ touring)
1999-2003 Tribal Hollywood, Māori Cabaret (UK, Australia & NZ touring)
1993-2005 DanceIhayami, Classical Indian Dance (Annual Scottish touring)
1993-97 Beltane Festival, Celtic Carnival (Edinburgh, UK)
1993 Katoi, Butoh work (Scottish tour)
Po - Beautiful Darkness. March 12, 2010 - Aotea Centre, Auckland
Mika and Auckland Philarmonia Orchestra
Director choreographer: Mark James Hamilton
It was fantastic to be seated so close to the front. The entire show was woven together in four acts that took us on a journey telling the story of this man, his culture, his confusion, his celebrations, his struggles and the beauty that he found throughout them all. There were outrageous costumes, more sequins and sparkles than backstage at Priscilla! And of course Mika. Iconic, incredible performer - that man can sing! And dance.. and still sing while being suspended above the stage. Jackie Clarke made an amazing 'Aotearoa'. I have never worked out how she can balance and perform flawlessly with such artistically, grandiose costumes! But my word, she's got it down and she was brilliant to say the least. The choreography was so beautiful with diverse influences from around Asia and the Pacific. Shakti from Japan played a very convincing Taniwha. I was completely mesmerised. What struck me the most was the way in which the flamboyancy of the performance, the humour and cleverness, was woven through this tale along with the dark, tragic and very honest moments. The show ended with an impressively, stark statement. The stage lights came on, Mika was still singing '..want to buy some illusions... some for laughs, some for tears..', and he put down his elaborate head-dress, the curtains were pulled back and the bones of the stage equipment were all laid bare. This appealed to me on a fairly deep level - let me briefly explain why, entertainment is obviously for us punters who get our tickets and are out for a good night. We are happy to sit back, applaud and adore our entertainer's while they are on stage. Yet at the end of the night the illusion is over, we all go our separate ways and who are these entertainer's really? More importantly, would we still accept them without their illusions?
Morag Deyes MBE, Artistic Director, Dance Base, Scottish National Centre for Dance morag.deyes@dancebase.co.uk
Mika X, Executive Producer, Patangaroa Limited, Auckland mika@mika.co.nz
Mark James Hamilton Department of Theatre and Film Studies University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 CHRISTCHURCH New Zealand email: makahemi@hotmail.com mobile: 021 256 1455
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| mark james hamilton, cv jan 2010.doc | 43.5 KB |
Member Profile
Mark James HamiltonIn 1992 I completed my MPhil in Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham (UK) where my research explored the holistic processes elaborated by seminal European theatre practitioners Rudolf von Laban, Jerzy Grotowski and Roy Hart. I then moved to Scotland to continue my study of bharatanatyam (South Indian classical dance), which I began in 1987. I also worked at Dance Base, the National Centre for Dance, where I developed programmes for wide range of community and professional dancers. In 1998 I began forging an international link between Dance Base and Maori dancers that led to a series of international collaborations. In 1999, I moved to New Zealand to co-found Torotoro, an urban Māori dance company, creating work fusing indigenous martial performance traditions with hip-hop and burlesque. In 2005, I met Samudra Performing Arts, from Kerala, whilst studying dance in India. I recognized a number of striking parallels between their work and that of Torotoro, both juxtaposing martial and expressive movement practices, and my doctoral research has investigated an emergent genre I call 'martial dance theatre'. My working process today commingles practical and theoretical explorations. At present my physical regime includes participation in judo and ballet training, while my reading centres on the implications of play fighting on the formation of masculine identities, and its value in theatre performance pedagogy.
