Cat Ruka (born 1983)[1] is a New Zealand dancer, choreographer, performance director and arts manager.[2]

Biography

Ruka is the daughter of Raureti and Vida Ruka, and spent her early life at her mother's home in Warkworth and her father's Hokianga marae.[3] She affiliates to the Ngāpuhi and Waitaha iwi.[3]

Ruka completed a bachelor's degree, a post-graduate diploma and a master's degree in dance studies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.[3] She lectured in performing arts at Manukau Institute of Technology for 10 years, and was artistic director of Tempo Dance Festival in 2020.[4][5][6]

In 2018 Ruka along with Carrie Rae Cunningham mentored FRESH, an emerging dance programme in the Tempo Dance Festival.[7]

In 2020, Ruka was appointed executive director of the Basement Theatre in Auckland.[3]

Creative works and appearances

Playing Savage choreographed and performed by Cat Ruka was presented in the 2010 Kōwhiti Festival of Māori Contemporary Dance at Soundings Theatre, Te Papa, Wellington.[8]

Ruka choreographed the Manukau Institute of Technology's first production in 2011, a South Auckland version of West Side Story.[9]

Created and performed in 2011 by Ruka and dancer and performance artist Josh Rutter NEW TREATY MILITIA is a production developed in Berlin, Germany as part of the Matchpoint Choreographer Meeting, a 7 day event curated by Jochen Roller and Anna Wagner. NEW TREATY MILITIA premiered at the Hebbel am Ufer performance centre in Berlin, and then toured to: Boutique Studios, Brooklyn New York; Tempo Dance Festival, Q Theatre; Southside Arts Festival, Ōtara; a secret venue in Dunedin in a double-bill with Warwick Broadhead; and The Long Hall, Roseneath, Wellington. It explored contentious issues about the Treaty of Waitangi.[10][11]

At the Maidment Theatre, Auckland in 2012 Ruka performed an experimental solo work along in a double-bill along with Tru Paraha called HINE-2012, this was a forum with discussion after the performances and described as: "Indigenous choreographers frame the body as a site for investigation and present their works in an evening of dynamic theatre."[12][13]

In 2017 Ruka directed Neon Bootleg created by Moe Laga-Fa'aofo and produced by FAFSWAG at Basement Theatre.[14]

Ruka created a dance film installation zodiac as part of Embodied contemplation: A mixed bill at the Basement Theatre in 2019.[15]

In 2019 Ruka was the keynote speaker at the Tiny Performance Festival in Otautahi Christchurch where she talked of 'performance as medicine'.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Cat Ruka – web site". National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Brown, Pelenakeke. "Shaping Mauri". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Metro — Cat Ruka, the new director of Basement Theatre". www.metromag.co.nz. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Basement Theatre | Nau mai, haere mai Cat Ruka". Basement Theatre. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "You are Fierce, You are Full". Awa Wahine. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  6. ↑ Flightdec. "Tempo welcomes Cat Ruka as new Artistic Director". DANZ. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "FRESH (2018) - A much needed forum". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "Kôwhiti Matariki Festival of Mâori Contemporary Dance - The future is bright". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Christian, Dionne (13 August 2011). "Theatre Preview: West Side Story, Pacific Events Centre". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews - Theatreview". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "New Treaty Militia - Tacit negotiation enjoined by audience". www.theatreview.org.nz. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews - Theatreview". www.theatreview.org.nz. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "HINE 2012 - Hine 2012 - performance as action, activism and critique". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews - Theatreview". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "Embodied Contemplation: a mixed billl - and I'm looking back at you: a review/response to Josie, Cat and Josh". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Performing Object I - Poignant acoustic movement". TheatreView. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
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