WAHAROA - Ella Gilbert and Tempo Dance Festival

My grandma and I are video calling to create a duet. We are
reaching across internet space - to connect - to make contact. We are doing this via the computer, because that is the current restriction. And there is potential in restriction.

A live video call performance between Ella and Grandma Jenny

Ella Gilbert - Creator, Choreographer, Performer, Granddaughter
Jennifer Shearer - Performer, Co Choreographer, Grandmother
Annetta Gilbert - Advisor, Grandmother
Chris Jannides - Co Choreographer, Advisor
Teina Moetara - Advisor
Ngapaki Moetara - Advisor
Tanya Shearer - Technical support (for Grandma Jenny), My Mum
Photography - Samuel Austin

Thank you to Teina and Ngapaki Moetara for being my teachers. Advising me in the power of what there is to learn in Waharoa. And generously letting me use the questions they created to have a powerful exchange with my grandparents in this piece. Thank you to my grandmother for really stepping / dancing into the unknown with me. “Oh well, ok darling, sounds novel. Can I do some tap dancing?”
Jennifer Shearer / Gma

Ella Gilbert is an actor and acting coach who loves pretending to be a professional dancer, when she gets the chance.

Currently she is learning how much she doesn't know about Waharoa. Currently she is learning how much she doesn't know about her Grandparents.
Currently she is respecting the magnitude of these unknowns, and focusing on them.