Neil Ieremia

Occupation: Choreographer, Artistic Director.

Hometown: Cannons Creek, Porirua, New Zealand.

Now living: Auckland, New Zealand.

Career began: 1990.

Favourite artist: Visual: Pablo Picasso, Fatu Feu’u. Music: Jay Z, Paul Weller.

Favourite book: Sons for the Return Home, by Albert Wendt. I also enjoy Rolling Stone magazine, (US edition).

Favourite song: At the moment it’s Creator by Santogold.

Favourite Pacific food: Corned beef and fa’alifu talo (boiled taro with coconut cream).

Favourite tradition: The use of singing at a fa’alavelave, at a funeral, malui. It always moves me.

Brief history

Neil Ieremia is one of New Zealand’s most accomplished choreographers.

Neil grew up in Cannons Creek, Porirua, and formed Black Grace Dance Company in 1995, debuting with a record-breaking season at Auckland’s Maidment Theatre. He has choreographed all of Black Grace’s major full-length works and created the concepts behind New Works and UrbanYOUTHMovement.

Neil has also choreographed work for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the NBR New Zealand Opera, World of Wearable Arts and the Holland Dance Festival.

In recognition of his considerable achievements, Neil was the recipient of the 2005 Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award for outstanding creative achievement and his contribution to the Arts in New Zealand.

Black Grace: From Cannon’s Creek to Jacob’s Pillow

Neil talks to Pacific Starmap…

How did you first get into dance?

I got involved in dance and choreography when I was about 12 or 13 years old.

I grew up in Cannons Creek in Porirua. As you can imagine dance wasn’t really an accepted form of expression in the early 80’s. I loved music and I used to listen to a lot of records after school and I suppose I just started moving.

It wasn’t until I got involved in the church youth group and was asked to make a dance when I sort of realised that I had some natural ability and from that point onwards I just started to make the most of every dance opportunity I got.

Where did you go from there?

I’m the youngest of four so we didn’t have any money for lessons and there weren’t many available for dance in those days.

So I started a dance group at church which used to practise every weekend and it was quite a lot of fun.
I used to make things up and watch Michael Jackson videos, hip hop and breakdancing - that first wave that came to New Zealand back in the 80’s.

It wasn’t till I left high school at the age of 17 and I was working at a bank for a couple of years, still doing dance in church that I got an opportunity to be a part of a choreographic team with a new choreographer. That was my first experience of dance.

As a result of that experience, in 1990 I was given the opportunity to study in Auckland or Wellington, but it was March and the course in Wellington had already started. The one in Auckland had only been going for a week, so I moved to Auckland to do a two-year dance course at the Performing Arts School of New Zealand.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

I have had a lot of advice. The best piece of advice is from my parents - to always remain true to yourself. No matter what anyone says to you, what anybody says about you, remain true.

And as my mum says, “Be good, son.”

That’s about it.

What advice would you give to a young dancer?

If you want to make it as a dancer be prepared for a great deal of hard work and discipline.

You need discipline. It’s not going to arrive all at once - you have to work at it and invest a great deal of yourself in it, and if you do I am sure you will have every success.

What are you working on now?

I have multiple roles here at Black Grace.

As a Choreographer I started the research for my next piece of work, Gathering Clouds, and that will premiere in the Auckland Festival in March next year.

And as Chief Executive of Black Grace I am rebudgeting the annual programme for next year, reviewing all our sponsorships and our funding applications that we currently have with people - boring stuff like that, really, looking at contracts and trying not to fall asleep!

Neil will answer more questions on Pacific Starmap in coming months, so join our email list to be the first to know when he is our featured Champion.

Pacific Starmap