Wilhemeena Isabella Monroe (aka Gordon) has been working in the areas of theatre, dance and interdisciplinary-media for well over a decade. Over the last 15 years Wilhemeena has been involved in producing hundreds of events and films in New Zealand, Europe and the USA and has performed for many independent choreographers around the globe. She has produced, directed, choreographed, performed and installed more than 31 of her own works, from solos to group extravaganzas with casts of over 200. Her lastest foray into the music industry has had her choreographing and designing music videos and live events for high profile NZ artists such as Labretta and the Motel Six, Minut, Charlie Ash and The Mamaku Project and the closing ceremony and after party for the 2008 NZ Music Awards.

Other corporate portfolio highlights include: Creative director/choreographer of The Butterfly Zoo, and Living Lounge at SPLORE 2008, Portage Ceramic Awards 2008; assistant director/choreographer for the Trash To Fashion Awards 2004- 2009, David Gunson’s short film Auld Lang Syne; singly choreographing events for Sculpture on the Gulf, Auckland Theatre Company, AMEX, SUBARU, SOLITON, Harveys, Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, DAWSONS, Nelson Festival and the opening for Miranda Brown’s collection at New Zealand Fashion Week 2004, among others.

In 2007, Wilhemeena’s short film Too Close was featured in the Nelson Arts Festival and in 2004 in the Body Festival in Christchurch. Her short film Asylum was chosen for the 34th International Film Festival in New Zealand, Pulse Field Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 2002, and in 2007 also featured at Nelson Arts Festival.

She was named a “woman spearheading Auckland’s business success” by Business to Business Magazine in 2006. And in 2008 was one of 6 NZ’ers chosen as a participant of ART VENTURE, an acceleration program for creative entrepreneurs.

In 2005, Wilhemeena founded and is still currently Director of SOUL – centre of the body and mind, NZ's centre for kinesthetic and somatic research and education.  This is the first center of its kind in NZ and focuses on gaining health and vitality through dance and body/mind practices.  She also continues to practice as an internationally registered Somatic movement therapist, craniosacral therapist and body practitioner and has a register of clients in NZ as well as Europe – where she spends several months of every year.

In 2008 she was requested as a guest lecturer at SEEDS (Somatic Experiments in Earth, Dance and Science) Festival in USA and was asked to lecture for the Sustainable Business Network and the NZ Department of Labour on Workplace Wellness in Auckland. In 2007 she was chosen for the Ex-it 07 residency in Germany, and was a guest speaker and facilitator at the Intersections: Dance, Health and Wellbeing conference in Auckland. She was chosen as a choreographer for the 2002 Choreographic Platform and continued as Co-director of Platform from 2003 – 2006.

She has taught improvisation, choreography, contemporary technique and SRT™ as artist in residence at Milton Academy in Boston, and has taught workshops in various locations in Australia and the USA, including visiting artist workshops for Dappin Butoh, Liminal Dance Theatre and The BodyCartography Project.

She has taught at The Performing Arts School of New Zealand, the Nelson Lakes Mountain Jam, Tempo Festival, Dance Your Socks Off Festival, the Tertiary Dance Festival and within the wider New Zealand dance community including company classes for Touch Compass Dance Trust. She is a part-time tutor teaching SRT™ and choreography at the Bachelor of Dance programs at UNITEC, Auckland University and at AUT. She has facilitated workshops and classes in association with the Auckland District Health Board for Community Mental Health Facilities and in private dual-diagnosis programmes. She teaches regular workshops and classes at her centre in Titirangi, Auckland.

Passionate about Ecology, Wilhemeena developed a new primary school curriculum combing ecology, fashion and performing arts and gifted the curriculum to the Cook Islands Ministry of Education to use in their schools. She traveled to Rarotonga and Aitutaki in 2009 to present and teach the curriculum, and it is now used by primary schools throughout the Cook Islands. 

She was a dedicated volunteer member of the Board for TEMPO, New Zealand's Festival of Dance  from 2000 to 2010 and in 2010 is focusing on creating a new dance theatre work due for release in 2011.

"It was one of the best shows - if not the best - I have been to since writing this column"
[ Butterfly Zoo 2008 ]
- Bridgett Saunders,
Sunday Star Times

"Aesthetically beautiful and articulately crafted; Wilhemeena creates  majestic imagery and breathtaking visages with a gift for the  strange, bizarre and extravagantly spectacular."
- Human Garden Agency

"Wilhemeena is a gifted artist moving with beauty and elegance. her  performances are strong and compelling with satiric wit. She has  something to say with a sense of urgency. I believe she has a bright 
future and will make an artistic  contribution to the culture in 
which she lives"
Joan Skinner, Founder and Director of SRTTM

SOUL
centre of the body and mind
Classes and workshops in Skinner Releasing Technique ^TM , Contact Improvisation, Butoh, Movement Therapy, and other modalities.
For a full brochure, contact info@soulcentre.co.nz

Contact willa@mswilla.com

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