Whaingaroa Youth Movement (WYM) began in 2003 when Patti Mitchley realised that her kids Conor and Molly needed a new creative outlet. Conor and Molly, along with their best friends, myself, and my sister Indya, were the founding members and we have been dancing with Patti ever since.
Being a part of the WYM whānau has had a huge impact on our lives, from the way we interact with our bodies, to the way we express ourselves creatively. All of the tamariki who have passed through WYM and spent hours upon hours in the Town Hall have gained so much from their dancing and the collaborative way that Patti teaches. To celebrate the anniversary, Patti and I sat down to reflect on the journey of WYM and what is coming up next.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Whaingaroa Youth Movement; can you tell me how it all started?
We started Whaingaroa Youth Movement (WYM) because my son Conor and ‘pretend daughter’ Indya had a very strong passion for dance and movement and there was a small group of their friends interested. I think we started with about 20-25 kids. I had just completed the dance papers at Waikato Uni and returned to dance and theatre myself after many years’ break. Our first show ‘Making Waves’ was very lo-fi. Al Williamson was onboard to encourage us and make it happen. But really I needed more help; so in the years following, Dahlia Knight came on board with design and Donald Tweedie with his passion and top notch live theatre skills, which really upped our game and set the scene for what WYM has become.
You’ve taught many of the tamariki in our town how to move their bodies and have encouraged their creativity. How important is it to you to nurture these qualities in young people?
I value creative self expression above most other things. Our approach is creative, contemporary and community spirited. Learning how to connect, relate and create together are fundamental to WYM. Dance is our vehicle, it is instant and live and experienced. We work to nurture individuality, personal interpretation in movement, and we celebrate difference; both understanding who you are through embodiment, and using movement to process life and its experiences. Dance is primal and healing. Plus, working creatively and collaboratively builds very strong interpersonal skills over time, skills they can take forward into life.
Your shows often present themes that have a strong connection to our community but also to larger stories playing out in our world. Where do you find inspiration for the themes of the performances?
I think over the years we have developed the confidence to share our own stories and experiences in our own voice. In a way it is social commentary but it is very based on ‘here’; this place and this time. It might be something that happens that is clearly affecting us all, and then a song or a story or a ‘character’ pops up in a conversation and we weave things together and a narrative appears. In 2007 we made a show called ‘Virtual Reality’ about technology ’taking over’ ha! Honestly we had no idea at the time, cell phones were not cameras and iPods back then and Facebook and Instagram were not ‘in our hands’. We revisited this theme again with ‘LOOK’ in 2016. It was a realisation how much ’tech’ really is up in our face. Si Willisson came on board in 2010 and since then has designed the fabulous sets for our Town Hall shows. Conor, Indya, Molly, and yourself have always played a big part in finding music, developing a cohesive theme, graphic design and bringing visual identity to the work.
What has the past 20 years with the Whaingaroa Youth Movement meant to you and your development as a teacher and a person?
I get to watch these kids grow into beautiful young adults. It’s a privilege to keep students over a long period of time. Some of my dance kids are with us for 10 or 12 years total. I feel truly invested and connected. The friendship groups they form at dance are something quite special. They experience themselves and others in a different context and have space to let go and ‘move through’ change.
What has been really quite special to me is how the older ex-dancers come back and support the new ones in performances. Doing makeup, stage managing, artwork; just help and presence and support. It’s truly holistic in nature. I believe in movement as a foundation for wellbeing and that serves me personally as well. My jobs (dance and yoga) help keep me well in mind, body, and spirit.
What does the future hold for the Whaingaroa Youth Movement?
Right now we are still coming together in the beautiful Raglan Town Hall two days a week, making dances, playing, sweating, laughing and working towards our next project ‘Case of the Missing Meaning’, which will be shown in the Bush Park Wainui Reserve in December.
From myself, our ex-dancers and our current dancers, thank you Patti!
by Ruby Gibbs
