War love letters inspire grandson

In the early 1990s, Maaka Papene was an infantry scout in the New Zealand Army, performing a job which would place him in some of the riskiest situations and in some of the world's most dangerous places.

Fast forward nearly two decades and the Auckland-based dancer is the creator of, and main performer in, Memoirs of Active Service, a contemporary dance production which opens a two-night mini-season at Waikato University's Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts tonight.

The journey from regular army scout to contemporary dancer is an unorthodox one, yet Papene said it had provided him with the necessary experience, and grounding, to produce an emotionally powerful dance production, which focused on life during at home and abroad during World War II.

"It's all about people, growing up in a terrible time," he said, with a passion for the performance strong in his voice. "The work goes hand in hand with bonds and kinship that are a strong part of being in the army."

The inspiration for the performance came from the diary of his grandfather Charles Murphy, who served in North Africa and Italy during the war. His grandfather would write regular entries in his journal while he fought, in the form of love letters to his sweetheart back home in New Zealand.

The production was first performed on Auckland's North Shore in 2006.

Papene, who left the army in 1992 after six years, said that in addition to experiences of the famed 28th (Maori) Battalion, Memoirs of Active Service was also influenced by Kiwi experiences on home front during the conflict.

"This is a personal thing for me. I really wanted to honour the men and the families from that time," he said.

The performance, which includes period music from the 1940s, features three male and two female dancers who translate the story of pre-war New Zealand through to the enlistment and training of the men, combat and the experiences of the women on the home front.

Papene said the performance involved routines influenced by marching and training drills he learnt while in the army.

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Memoirs of Active Service will be performed in the Telecom Playhouse at Waikato University's Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts on July 23 and 24. Each performance begins at 8pm. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $15 for children. Tickets are available through Ticket Direct.