21-04-2025
Wairua Paani: Māori and Indian communities blend cultures on stage
'Wairua means spirit. Paani is water in Hindi,' August-Smith explains.
'We're bringing to the stage a spiritual journey through water.'
'In both cultures, the water is sacred. That's the thread of the story,' Krishna told Hawke's Bay Today.
She said the production mixed a classic Indian story based on redemption through the sacred River Ganges with a contemporary Māori narrative of loss, memory and ancestral connection.
Bringing the two worlds together hasn't been without challenges, though.
'The creative side can be hysterical,' August-Smith said with a laugh.
She said there were moments when everything seemed to fall into place – until it didn't.
'When you get so excited about something and then you hit the wall ... but I was taught by a mana wāhine, there are no walls except the ones you refuse to climb over. There is always a way around it.'
August-Smith said the experience of this collaboration was an example of what is possible beyond the performance space.
'How well would it be if we could do that out in the world? Instead of having gigantic hīkoi because one people disrespect other people so much, and yet we can show that different people can work together and achieve gigantic strides on stage.'
The show will feature elegant dancing, stage combat kapa haka, waiata and te reo, with live music by Anton Wuts and his Bollywood Band.
The full programme will run for about two hours and is a result of years of creativity and community effort.
'We started HBICC in 2015 with just seven students,' Krishna recalled.
'I had a science background, worked in food quality, but dancing was always my passion.'
Over the years, HBICC has hosted annual dance shows under the banner 'made for a cause', donating portions of ticket proceeds ranging from $1500 to $2500 to local charities.
This year, however, the focus has shifted because the HBICC was hit by a cyberattack last year.
'We have spent a lot of money to get all the things back because they hacked our devices, our Wi-Fi, social media, everything.'
Wairua Paani will be held at Toitoi, Hastings, on Friday at 6.30pm. Tickets are available through Eventfinda.
'It will be a magical experience,' Krishna said.
'That's the story about two different worlds.'
August-Smith said it was not only for Indian or Māori communities.
