Who’s Poppin? : the prequel
02/09/2009 - 05/09/2009
Production Details
‘Innovation and humour in tight theatrical structure…’ – Theatreview
In order to answer Who’s Poppin? we first have to ask What’s Poppin?
After the first successful season at BATS Theatre for the Wellington Fringe Festival 2009, emerging writer, actor & dancer, Sopa Enari, revisits his original one man show to give to the audience a deeper understanding of the dance form called Popping.
WHO’S POPPIN? The Prequel calls together theatre, music and dance, live on stage to create an incredible trio! Featuring NZ hip hop pioneer, DJ Raw on the turntables and Elia Feterika on drums, BodyTalk Productions is proud to present the first Hip Hop theatre trilogy in Aotearoa, as part of Dance Your Socks Off Festival 2009!
Synopsis
WHO’S POPPIN? : The Prequel, is an artistic exploration of the roots and evolution of Funk, both the dance form and it people. With new characters inspired directly from the History of Funk and Hip Hop Culture, we travel from the heart of San Francisco in the late 60’s, to old school New York of the early 80’s and all the way to Aotearoa, 2009.
Wellington writer, dancer, actor and model Sopa Enari will perform his show ‘WHO’S POPPIN? The Prequel, a fusion of dance, theatre, live music and guest starring DJ Raw, bringing together the very best of Wellington talent.
Known to many as the godfather of New Zealand Hip Hop, DJ Raw has been the backbone to some of New Zealand’s most influential groups, Gifted and Brown, Overstayers, Footsouljahs, King Kapisi and Flowz.
Known as the 6th elements since the late 90’s, ‘Hip Hop theatre’ is a recent form of expression which utilises theatre spaces to interrogate the meaning and aesthetic of a street born culture.
Presented by BodyTalk Productions, an emerging Wellington based production company mentored by Tawata Productions. BodyTalk Productions features a talented crew from diverse back grounds, Samoa, France and Aotearoa. Working together to serve the potential of an artistic and truthful idea. Mise en lumiere!
CREATIVE TEAM
Sopa Enari PERFORMER, PRODUCER
Born in the Sunshine Nation of Samoa, Sopa Enari moved between Samoa and Dunedin before settling in Wellington in the 1990s. Sopa trained at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand Drama School, performing around Wellington in both film and theatre. Sopa is a writer of poetry and theatre and is also a member of the writers’ collective, Writer’s Block. Sopa is also a model for popular menswear label, Mandatory.
DJ Raw MUSICIAN
Ian Semanu, or as he is known, DJ Raw, is a Lyall Bay local. DJ Raw is a New Zealand hip hop pioneer. He made his name in the DJ battle scene, dominating all New Zealand competitions for a whole decade, while gaining respect as a world-class turntablist and placing consistently in the top ten of both the DMC (Disco Mix Club) and ITF (International Turntablist Federation) World Championships. He is the only New Zealander ever to be crowned ITF Australasian DJ Champion.
Elia Feterika DRUMMER
Berhampore raised, a Wellington College old boy. He is a strong member of the Wellington AOG Community. Found and pursued drumming through gospel. Elia also pursued drumming through the PolyFest Competitions and is the founding drummer for Groovalation College.
Alice Poujois PRODUCER
2008 Graduate from University Lumiere Lyon 2, in France, Alice has studied the Arts, Cinema, and Human Sciences. She came to NZ develop professional, working as an intern with several Arts Festivals. Alice is now dedicating herself to the Hip Hop Culture as a producer and as a graffiti artist.
Martine Gray PRODUCER ASSISTANT
2009 Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School Acting Graduate and Wellington Performing Arts Centre Acting Graduate, Martine has been acting in theatre since her early teens. Since the age of five, Martine trained in ballet, jazz and tap and has more recently become involved in Hip Hop.
Erina Daniels DRAMATURG
Erina is currently enrolled as a Master of Theatre Arts student at Victoria University and Toi Whakaari. Working as an actor for Tawata Productions, she has work-shopped many plays assisting writers from the page to stage, including Albert Belz’s award winning play – "Yours Truly". Erina has toured with theatre shows nationally and internationally and continues to perform on stage and screen.
Tawata Productions MENTORS
Founded in 2001 by Hone Kouka, Tawata Productions produces the very best of Māori and Pacific theatre, touring throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand and the world. Tawata produced the first seasons of Who’s Poppin? for the Wellington Fringe Festival 2009.
For images, interviews and further information please contact Alice Poujois on 0210 2519 477 or e-mail at bodytalkproductions@gmail.com
WHO’S POPPIN? The Prequel
Showing at Bats Theatre, Wellington,
1 Kent Terrace, Wellington
Wednesday 2nd – Saturday 5th September 9pm
Tickets $16 Full $13 Concession
Bookings 04 802 4175 & book@bats.co.nz
Re-creating the trajectory of popping, locking and boogaloo
Review by Jenny Stevenson 03rd Sep 2009
Samoan actor and dancer, Sopa Enari, aka Sopalicious, has been developing the work he premiered earlier this year at the Fringe Festival and has returned to Bats to present the result. Who’s Poppin? : The Prequel is the second work from a proposed trilogy of hip-hop theatre pieces. Less theatrical in its presentation, this work looks at the people who created popping and boogaloo and traces the trajectory of the dance movement as it spread west to east across America and down to Aotearoa.
The format of Enari’s original work is still being followed – music created on-stage by DJ Raw (Ian Semanu) and drummer BoomBAP, (Elia Feterika) with Enari performing popping moves as he assumes a variety of characterisations. The structure is much looser than previously, however, with a resultant lack of clarity in ordering the material. On the plus side, the interaction between performers has increased, which has strengthened the ensemble.
Enari creates an earnest young Berkley student character, delivering a dissertation to describe the racially-charged atmosphere of the 1970s in the United States, when popping and boogaloo were born. The forms are funk dance styles that involve "popping" or contracting and relaxing the muscles very fast and incorporate gestures and illusionary techniques like moonwalking, into the mix.
Enari morphs into a characterisation of Boogaloo Sam from Fresno, California, one of the early popping innovators, who was originally inspired by watching locking (another funk dance form) on television. Mr Wiggles who danced with Boogaloo Sam in The Electric Boogaloos also makes an appearance, before the action shifts to New York.
The spread of popping and locking to East Coast USA was largely due to the influence of television programme Soul Train and films like the iconic Beat Street. Enari follows this through the Rock Steady Crew of New York and a sequence about a prisoner rehabilitating himself through popping.
Finally the form was introduced to New Zealand by fellow Samoan, KOS, who had studied it in Los Angeles and Enari enacts his own meeting with him and his subsequent conversion to popping.
Enari is developing a trademark structure through incorporating elements of hip hop including music, dance, graffiti writing and knowledge into a theatrical form. The work would benefit from tighter directorial control and more work on placement, choreographically – but it is a form that can speak directly to young people and as such could become a powerful tool for communication to that age group.
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