Tiaki Kerei

Tiaki Kerei
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa

Tiaki Kerei is synonymous with the development and recognition of Māori contemporary dance, fostering innovative choreographic platforms in Aotearoa and internationally and has an extensively documented track record of excellence in ngā toi Māori. Since 1999, he has been recognized in Aotearoa with his selection as the Whakahaungia Choreographic Commission recipient by Toi Māori, and winning of an A.M.P Scholarship which enabled him to travel to the United States. This led to his tenure as a Visiting Assistant Professor at University of California Riverside, as Artist in Residence at University of California Berkeley, at the Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Regent’s Scholar at University of California Los Angeles, and recognition as a contributor to Indigenous Choreographer’s at Riverside Project fostering new directions for Indigenous contemporary dance. Most recently Tiaki, has continued to broaden perceptions of ngā toi Māori by establishing Whakamana Creatives, and the Embodied Research Lab in Aotearoa. Both these projects are driven by community and intercultural dance practice and deeply driven by innovative approaches from Tikanga Māori towards movement, choreography, connection, and resilience.