Te Tomo

Welcome to ‘Te Tomo’: a te ao Māori approach to the ever-changing art form known as ‘Circus’.

Spearheaded by Tainui Tukiwaho, and in collaboration with Eve Gordon, the function of ‘Te Tomo’ is to make ‘Circus’ more accessible to Māori.

Te Tomo aims to achieve this by reimagining the current eurocentric language of circus in to a voice that has a deeper resonance in Aotearoa.

We have named this pedagogy Te Tomo because through this work you will be transported in to a space where understanding the realm of either Papatūānuku or Ranginui is essential and in doing so you will learn skills that will assist you in defying the parental gods, even if for a short moment. 

Papatūānuku

  • The space of Papatūānuku is one of grounding. As we grew older we learned to stand, balance, and move through her space. crossing Te Tomokanga (the portal) into her ao requires us to trust in the care that Papatūānuku gives us. You may have seen on the internet people tumbling or amazing balancing acts and it is incredibly impressive. In order to achieve such feats it requires hononga - our connection to Papatūānuku.

    So as we navigate Te wāhi o Papatūānuku you learn how to hold yourself, how to safely balance and control your body in space in relation to Papa. Then you learn to work with objects. Things that Papatuanuku holds while you move over and around them. And finally with people - as you and your partner(s) manipulate your tinana in ways that would seem to defy Papa’s embrace.

    • Juggling Clubs, Balls, Rings, Scarves, Knives etc

    • Poi

    • Hula Hoops

    • Diabolo

    • Flower-sticks

    • Cyr Wheel, German Wheel

    • Stacking Chairs

    • Handbalance Canes

    • Tight Rope, Slackline

    • Stilts

    • Wheel of Death

Ranginui

  • The space of Ranginui is one of flight. For generations we humans have observed and envied birds for the feats they so easily achieve in the space of Ranginui. Crossing Te Tomokanga (the portal) into his ao requires us to have courage as we defy this Ranginui and ignore the call of his love Papatūānuku.

    You may have seen on the internet acrobats flying and spinning through the air with incredible grace. In order to achieve such feats it requires māia –bravery to understand that you do not belong in the world of Ranginui, but to remain there nonetheless.

    Because we are only ever guests in the realm of Ranginui, we must maintain an awareness of mother Papatūānuku and always position ourselves in relationship with where she is. This defiance of Papatuānuku is where the inherent risk and excitement of aerial arts comes from.

    • Silks

    • Rope

    • Straps

    • Spanish Web

    • Lyra

    • Trapeze

    • Hammock

    • Invented apparatus