Photographs by Abby Smith
Karen (Dip Cont Dance, B SocSci, M SocSci
(Hons), PhD) is a contemporary dance choreographer and performer,
researcher and writer based in the Waikato. She has presented
dance work in the Waikato since 1990, and founded and performed
with Curve Dance Collective (1997-2000) (www.url.co.nz/arts/curve/Welcome.html)
in Auckland.
Karen is employed as a dance
lecturer at The University of Waikato in Hamilton (edlinked.soe.waikato.ac.nz/staff/index.php?user=karenb).
She offers regular contemporary dance classes at The WEL Energy
Trust Academy of Performing Arts Dance Studio (www.waikato.ac.nz/academy/homepage.shtml),
and creates contemporary dance and collaborative performance
events annually.
Recent works have featured
collaborations with different artists, including visual artist
Donn Ratana, lighting designer Michael Knapp and composer Kim
Walker. Karen works with local and invited guest dance artists
in her choreography, most recently including Patti Mitchley,
Debbie Bright, Kane Day, Vicky Kapo, and Geoff Gilson. Recent
performance seasons include: collaborative performance art work
Kaitiaki. Reasons to Care (2004); Punga whakawhenua
- Anchors to the earth , in Putahi (2003); Move
Me (2002); This is after all the edited life (2001
and 2002).
Karen has a passion for
and commitment to exploring environmental and feminist themes
in her choreography, and an interest in video dance - Drift
(1997), and interactive Cd-Rom and DVD dance - This is after
all the edited life (2002).
She has a long-standing
collaboration with dance photographer Robert Fear, who specializes
in photography of live performance. Some of Robert's work can
be viewed on line at www.danceart.co.nz.
She also works with local documentary photographer Brian Perry,
and has enjoyed collaborations with other photographers.
Contact Karen Barbour by
email .
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"a tender, nurturing quality to
Karen's work that brings to mind both the magical aspects of nature
like flying and birth; and the ordinary, taken for granted things
like air and rain and the regeneration of soil..."
Christy Hartlege, DanzNet on Punga Whakawhenua - Anchors to the
Earth
"...Moods
of love, fear, playfulness and violence are uncovered through
choreography that plays to each dancer's strengths... Just as
the multimedia production blended ancient and modern worlds, echoes
of Maori and Pacific dance blended with Western contemporary style,
giving a production it would be difficult to associate with any
other place than Aotearoa"
Rosemary Robertson, Waikato Times on Move Me.
"...passion
of performance... equality of power, control and contact... fluid,
empowering..."
Hilary Falconer, Waikato Times on This is after all the edited
life.
"...a
totally arresting presence..."
Bernadette Rae on This is after all the edited life.
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