Shel We goest till 13th September at QPAC
Last night I saw something that was quite out of the box — and, if I’m honest, for the first ten minutes I wasn’t quite sure where it was going. But then something clicked, and I found myself completely drawn into the clever, artistic storytelling unfolding before me.
Shel We is minimalist in its approach, but that is exactly where its creativity shines. There is no need for elaborate sets or over-the-top production. Instead, the magic comes through the dancers’ individual expression, movement, timing and an ability to tell a story in a way that makes you smile with appreciation.
Playful, enchanting and full of mischief, Shel We takes us into the wonderfully offbeat imagination of Tupua Tigafua, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most ingenious dancers, storytellers and award-winning choreographers.
So, what do you get when trees, ghosts and deer come together in a mischievous mix? You get a world that is strange, funny, tender and surprisingly heartwarming.
The spark of Shel We comes from the works of American writer and cartoonist Shel Silverstein, the quirky creative mind best known for The Giving Tree and for writing the lyrics to Johnny Cash’s A Boy Named Sue. But this is far more than a simple interpretation of Silverstein’s work.
On a personal level, Shel We becomes a playful tribute from Tupua to his parents, his family and the environment that continues to inspire him. Set against an evocative classical score, the performance moves through laughter, strangeness, love, memory and the natural world, allowing each moment to speak through the body rather than relying on words.
And it is the timing that really makes this work. There is something wonderfully satisfying about watching each movement unfold, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes with a cheeky wink, and often with a sense of humour that catches you just when you least expect it.
The beauty is also in the individuality of the performers. Every gesture seems to have its own personality, creating characters and moments through movement alone. It is storytelling stripped back to its most imaginative form — proving that sometimes you don’t need much to say a great deal.
Tupua Tigafua is an award-winning Sāmoan choreographer and dancer based in Aotearoa New Zealand. His career has seen him work with some of the country’s premier contemporary dance companies, including Black Grace, Mau, The New Zealand Dance Company and Atamira Dance Company. His original work Ciggy Butts in the Sand earned him both the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Award for Emerging Artist and the Wellington Theatre Awards Excellence Award for Choreography and Movement.
There is something wonderfully refreshing about Shel We. It doesn’t try too hard to explain itself. Instead, it invites you to watch, wonder, laugh and allow the story to unfold in its own unusual way.
Offbeat, upbeat and heartwarming, this is a work that reminds us that dance can be wonderfully simple, incredibly expressive and, above all, fun.
After those first ten minutes of wondering where it was taking me, I found myself appreciating exactly what Tupua Tigafua had created — a little world of trees, ghosts, deer, memories and mischief that quietly gets under your skin and leaves you with a smile.
Definitely one to experience with an open mind. Got to Brisbane Festival tickets
