Taonga: dancer, yoga teacher Taane Mete on his treasure, a boar tusk

Taane Mete - dancer, choreographer and yoga teacher - talks about his taonga, which once belonged to his father. Photo / NZ Herald/ Alex Burton

Taane Mete (Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Koriki-Kahukura) is one of Aotearoa's most revered dancers and choreographers. He also teaches yoga. Mete and fellow dancer Nancy Wijohn (Te Rarawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Whaoa and Ngāti Tahu) perform in Ihi, Lisa Reihana's creation story installation at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

This belonged to my father. It's a boar tusk, set in gold. My mum, Ani Mete, got it made for my dad, Tupara Mete. I'm not sure where she got this made but boar tusks and shark teeth were precious to Māori. They were used a lot in decoration.

Taane Mete's taonga, a boar husk set in gold. Photo / NZ Herald / Alex Burton

It was a brooch and he always wore it on his cardigan. My mum gave it to me when I got into the New Zealand School of Dance when I was a teenager. It was a pin and I was too scared to wear it as a brooch, because I thought I might lose it. So I changed it, first, to a necklace and then got it made into a bracelet.

It's special to me. It makes me feel grounded when I wear it, because it was something my dad treasured. I was a young boy when he got it. It must be about 48 years old. I'm 53 now. As soon as you mentioned this - I thought of this. I went straight there.

"I lived my life to the very edges." Taane Mete dancer and yoga teacher/ Photo / NZ Herald / Alex Burton

I give full gratitude to my parents. They worked damn hard to raise seven children. I was the baby. When I look to them now and my life as a child, everything was there. They were providers. They were a working-class family and we had a simple life but there were basic tools that helped us.

My dad passed away when I was 15. My mum passed away in 2015. They were very interesting times because I realised I am "it", so to speak.

I feel full now. I have children of my own and there is so much to look forward to.
I'm on a slow burn upwards, rising. It's not about taking off the cape to rest. Hell no.
My kids are 29 and 32 now. I was pretty young when I had them. I was a dad at 21 - a child bringing up a child. It gives you something. What I've learned about having my kids is it's not just about me. The life of a dancer is at times very solo and it's not - it can't be - when you have children. They keep it real.

I went to visit my son the other day - it was so good to see him and his wife. We had some lunch and, my bad, I bought pies. My son said, "Dad, I can't eat meat." I said, "Okay cool, I'll have them." Just your standard mince pies. His wife had the cake I brought and he had the vegetarian quiche. And I ate the pies.

I guess I really needed to go through what I have to be where I am now. As a creative dancer I've done the time. I've done time. That has allowed me to completely deepen my anchor. The anchor of my culture. It's not that I didn't connect to my culture when I was young but I was out, living life to the edge. I was exploring my edges and boundaries and I really "went there" in terms of work, lifestyle. I had jobs that were plentiful and abundant and I've never needed for money and I've been absolutely broke-arse. Scraping pennies. But it's when I was able to stand out of myself and look at what was there and begin to harness and talk to those bits I wanted to save.

Sometimes I wake up and think, just take one step at a time. I am also my worst enemy. I'm learning to let go of this high-achiever syndrome.

Yoga and dance converge in a natural way, at this stage of my career. It feels good to me. The way that I apply my mahi, my work, the connections I make, everything is drawn from the whenua (land), Papatūānuku (earth mother), Ranginui (sky father) creation stories. I'm not going to say it feels easy, but I'm more connected to it - my culture. There are deep connections and I allow it to flow. It sounds really corny but I feel as if I am a vessel and I'm staying true.

Taane Mete dances in the Lisa Reihana installation, Ihi, at Auckland Art Gallery. Photo / NZ Herald / Alex Burton

I've had to let go. What I have is enough. Trust that and all the creative aspects come through. Dance, choreography, artist, yoga teacher. A father! When I pass on my taonga, it will go to my moko.

Ihi [at Auckland Art Gallery] is such a wonderful work because it transcends time - the scale is amazing - and it's the ancient mixed with contemporary technology. It's made me realise how powerful the Māori creation story is. There is a beginning - mother earth and the sky father - and everything else in between is creative space. It's endless. I can draw a little seed from anywhere within that realm.

As told to Sarah Daniell

For details on Tanne Mete's next retreat visit taanemete.com/