Neil Ieremia
Encyclopedia
Neil Ieremia is a choreographer and dancer in New Zealand
. He is the founder and artistic director of Black Grace
, a modern dance company formed in 1995. Black Grace has toured extensively in New Zealand and internationally including Australia, USA and The Netherlands. Ieremia has also choreographed work for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Zealand, New Zealand Wearable Arts and the Holland Dance Festival. Born in New Zealand, Ieremia is of Samoan
heritage.
for outstanding creative achievement.
, Wellington, Ieremia graduated from the Auckland Performing Arts School, before joining the acclaimed Douglas Wright
Dance Company, performing in the major works Gloria, A Far Cry, Forever, How on Earth and Buried Venus. He subsequently worked with other leading choreographers in New Zealand. After forming Black Grace in 1995, he choreographed all of the company's major full-length works and created the concepts behind New Works and UrbanYOUTHMovement. Black Grace was made up predominantly of male Pacific Island and Māori dancers.
Black Grace has toured extensively throughout the main centers and regional New Zealand, including sold out performances at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. They have performed right across Australia including the Festival of Dreaming, Sydney and UWA Perth International Arts Festival.
In 2003, Black Grace toured The Netherlands, performing at the Holland Dance Festival. In the same year, Ieremia received a nomination for the prestigious international Rolex Mentor Programme. In 2004, Black Grace debuted in the USA, at the world renowned dance festival at Jacob's Pillow
.
In 2005, Black Grace's two Auckland seasons, New Works 2005 and 10 - A Decade of Works by Neil Ieremia sold out. The company performed Ieremia's works at the World Expo, Aichi and Tokyo, Japan; returned to Jacob's Pillow to perform on the main stage; a four-week season in New York's New Victory Theatre; a week at the prestigious Cervantino Festival, Mexico and a tour of Hawai'i. In 2007, The Grass Roots Tour took the company to regional centres in the North Island. In 2008, the company performed at WOMAD as well as Ieremia presenting a short works programme in North America and Canada.
In 2009, a major new work Gathering Clouds choreographed by Ieremia, premiered at the Auckland Festival
. Gathering Clouds was a response to controversial claims made in 2008 by Massey University lecturer Dr Greg Clydesdale. The Dominion Post newspaper falsely reported that Dr Clydesdale said Pacific Island immigrants are a "drain on the economy".
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He is the founder and artistic director of Black Grace
Black Grace
Black Grace is an internationally-touring modern dance company, formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1995. Neil Ieremia, the group's founder and choreographer, draws on Māori and Pacific Islander indigenous dance, as well as modern dance and hip hop...
, a modern dance company formed in 1995. Black Grace has toured extensively in New Zealand and internationally including Australia, USA and The Netherlands. Ieremia has also choreographed work for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Zealand, New Zealand Wearable Arts and the Holland Dance Festival. Born in New Zealand, Ieremia is of Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
heritage.
Laureate
In 2005, Ieremia received the prestigious Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New ZealandArts Foundation of New Zealand
A facilitator of private philanthropy, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand supports artistic excellence through its permanent Endowment Fund. Legacies and donations help grow the Fund, with income generated enabling the Foundation to support the arts....
for outstanding creative achievement.
Background
Born in Cannons Creek, PoriruaPorirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
, Wellington, Ieremia graduated from the Auckland Performing Arts School, before joining the acclaimed Douglas Wright
Douglas Wright
Douglas Wright may refer to:*Douglas E Wright , Canadian horror writer*Douglas Wright *Douglas Wright * Douglas Tyndall Wright , Canadian civil engineer...
Dance Company, performing in the major works Gloria, A Far Cry, Forever, How on Earth and Buried Venus. He subsequently worked with other leading choreographers in New Zealand. After forming Black Grace in 1995, he choreographed all of the company's major full-length works and created the concepts behind New Works and UrbanYOUTHMovement. Black Grace was made up predominantly of male Pacific Island and Māori dancers.
Black Grace has toured extensively throughout the main centers and regional New Zealand, including sold out performances at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. They have performed right across Australia including the Festival of Dreaming, Sydney and UWA Perth International Arts Festival.
In 2003, Black Grace toured The Netherlands, performing at the Holland Dance Festival. In the same year, Ieremia received a nomination for the prestigious international Rolex Mentor Programme. In 2004, Black Grace debuted in the USA, at the world renowned dance festival at Jacob's Pillow
Jacob's Pillow
Jacob’s Pillow Dance is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive...
.
"He has spread his artistic roots in several rich pasts and grown up and out into a sunlight of his own making." The New York Times, 2004
In 2005, Black Grace's two Auckland seasons, New Works 2005 and 10 - A Decade of Works by Neil Ieremia sold out. The company performed Ieremia's works at the World Expo, Aichi and Tokyo, Japan; returned to Jacob's Pillow to perform on the main stage; a four-week season in New York's New Victory Theatre; a week at the prestigious Cervantino Festival, Mexico and a tour of Hawai'i. In 2007, The Grass Roots Tour took the company to regional centres in the North Island. In 2008, the company performed at WOMAD as well as Ieremia presenting a short works programme in North America and Canada.
In 2009, a major new work Gathering Clouds choreographed by Ieremia, premiered at the Auckland Festival
Auckland Festival
The Auckland Festival is a biennial arts and cultural festival held in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new works and international performing arts events.-History:Auckland was the first...
. Gathering Clouds was a response to controversial claims made in 2008 by Massey University lecturer Dr Greg Clydesdale. The Dominion Post newspaper falsely reported that Dr Clydesdale said Pacific Island immigrants are a "drain on the economy".