An Honest Conversation

33-year-old dance artist Olivia McGregor and 42-year-old choreographer Sacha Copland will talk while dancing for 1 hour. They will try to be honest.

Sacha has choreographed 20 full length works, performs all over the world and lives in Wellington. Olivia has lived between Christchurch, Berlin and Lower Hutt, performing but also trying to understand dance's role in it all. Olivia and Sacha want to talk and dance. Olivia and Sacha both talk a lot. They will try to dance, talk and be honest. “Kia ora I’m Sacha. I’m Pākeha, English Scottish and Polish. I grew up on the land here and for the next 9 weeks I’m a resident artist at the Arts Centre. It’s going to be hard to leave” Kia ora I'm Olivia. I grew up in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/ Lower Hutt and whakapapa to Muaūpoko and Ngāti Raukawa. At the moment I am just floating around and with both excitement/nervous anticipation, will lean into this dance and life exposé because I love it.

“I have never really seen anything like it before; the connection with the audience was electric.” Sameena Zehra

“Somewhere between standup comedy, a physical competition, an intergenerational back-and-forth and a celebration of mauri / life force.” Jonty Hendry

For ages 12+

Artists' Biographies

Sacha Copland is the artistic director of Java Dance Theatre & founded the company in 2003. She was recently awarded Wellingtonian of the Year in the Arts Category. Sacha is Pākehā (Polish, English, Scottish) & grew up in rural NZ. Sacha has choreographed prolifically for 20 years, developing Java's distinctly immersive theatrical style in 23 full length dance works, garnering critical acclaim, box office success & international touring. She has been commissioned by Dance4 (Nottingham UK), Wellington Orchestra, NZ School of Dance, Capital E (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023) & STAB/BATS. In 2019-21 Sacha became a CNZ Choreographic Fellow, in 2016 a TEDx speaker/performer & in 2017 an alumni of the ASSITEJ International Next Generation. In 2012 Sacha became a Distinguished Graduate of the NZ School of Dance. Sacha has produced & performed ‘Back of the Bus’ throughout NZ, Australia, the UK & Asia. As a dancer and actress, Sacha has toured nationally to critical acclaim.

Olivia McGregor (Muaūpoko, Ngāti Raukawa) is a performer originally from Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/ Lower Hutt, now based in Ōtautahi. Following graduation from the New Zealand School of Dance (2010), she joined Footnote Dance Company (2011-2014). Olivia has worked and performed around Europe and Aotearoa in dance theatre, performance art installations and film, with artists including Jo Randerson, Kate McIntosh, Ross McCormack, The Body Cartography Project, Lisa Densem, Jeremy Shaw, Julian Weber and Constanza Macras among others. She finds joy in improvisation and the connective possibilities that dance brings.