Tōrua (Movement of the Human)
Follow the dancers. (Re)discover the city centre of Tāmaki Makaurau. Following sold-out seasons across Aotearoa, Tōrua returns to offer an intimate, cinematic and unforgettable encounter with dance, place and community. An immersive contemporary dance journey that transforms the city into a living stage.
Directed by Malia Johnston from Movement of the Human and created collaboratively with nine exceptional dance artists from across Aotearoa, the work invites audiences to travel through streets, laneways and public spaces wearing wireless headsets that offer a choice between two original musical scores by Eden Mulholland (Ngāti Porou) and Anna Edgington.
Uniquely re-created for every location, Tōrua responds to the architecture, landscape and character of its host neighbourhoods.
For this 2026 return season, the work unfolds in the transformed city centre places surrounding the new Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu train stations, offering audiences a chance to experience these evolving places from a fresh perspective. As audiences move alongside the performers, they become an integral part of the choreography, discovering familiar streets and newly connected urban spaces in unexpected ways.
Tōrua features dancers Sefa Tunupopo, Xin Ji, Jemima Matsuda, Ella Williams, Veronica Lyu, Andre Busby, Petronilla Su'a, Montell Nickel and Nate Gascusan.
Presented by Movement of the Human and Auckland Live as part of Tempo Dance Festival 2026.
For the full Tempo Dance Festival programme visit: www.tempodancefestival.co.nz