tash kohler
dance artist
performance & choreography
located in tamaki makaurau, aotearoa
photo by amanda billing
Natasha Kohler is an independent dance artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand). She studied Contemporary Dance (BPSA at Unitec Institute of Technology 2014 - 2016) and co-founded the Auckland-based dance collective ‘Dance Plant Collective’ at the end of her studies. Since 2016, Natasha has been involved in the roles of co-director, performer, and choreographer, among others within the collective. Natasha’s practice revolves around building community, eco-somatic exploration and research, and performance and choreography for short and full-length dance pieces. Her choreographic and performance work has been presented in galleries, outdoor locations and festival sites, theatre venues, fashion week shows, and online dance-film platforms. Natasha’s recent work includes a dance duet choreographed and performed with her twin sister ‘Rituals of Similarity’ (2023-2024) which received rave reviews throughout its national tour and explores life through the lens of twinhood, and her eco-somatic inquiry throughout residencies, workshops, and her attendance at ImpulsTanz (AT) 2024.
Natasha uses dance as a tool for growth, self-discovery, and reflection, and to initiate positive change in our current world climate. She collaborates with human bodies and the more than human world. Her current fascination is exploring how we can move in alignment with the natural world not only in dance practices but also in the mundanity of our daily lives. She is currently realizing a new work ‘Body of Earth’ which seeks to bring awareness to cycles of life, the degradation of humans and the planet, and explores how we can live in alignment with the natural world around us. Natasha also loves sharing movement practices and bringing people together. She teaches mat and reformer pilates, as well as contemporary dance open classes, and explorative and creative movement classes and workshops.
about
workshops & trainings
Unitec institute of Technology: contemporary dance BPSA 2014-16
Thomas Hana somatics (LV 1 + 2) - Suds Sutherland, Haidee Stairmand, Axis Syllabus - Kira Kirsch, entering the eco-somatic fold - Glenna Batson , Happy contemporary dancing - Stephanie Cumming, no neutral canvas : a personal dramaturgy - Angélique Willkie, catabatics - Alexander Vantournhout & Emmi Väisänen, centrifugal empowerment skid technique - Damien Jalet , haunted landscape/s - Claudia Bosse, Footnote NZ Dance Choreolab and winter intensives - Javito Mario, Rose Tapsell, Villa Jr. Lemanu, Ross McCormack, Peter Jasko, Kosta Bogoievski , Josie Archer, Charles Koroneho, Kate McIntosh, Stephen Bain, Kristian Larsen, Joshua Rutter, James O’Hara, Balazs Busa, Alex Wilson, Ralf Jaroschinski
Atamira Dance Company Intensive Wiki - Contact Care (Eliza Sanders), Wu-Shu (Yin-Chi Lee), Contact C.A.R.E (Kelly Nash), Hip Hop (Celina Torres), Contact Improvisation - Claire Luiten & Rachel Ruckstal Mann, Peeping Top Repertoire & Improvisation - Panos Malactos , Deltebre Dansa Festival - Maria Kolegova (Ultima Vez), Linda Kapetanea and Jozef Frucek (Fighting Monkey, Rootless Root), Body Weather - Frank Van De Ven , Improvisation - Jo Lloyd, Flying Low - Vangelis Legakis , Improvisation and Technique - Stephanie Lake & NZDC , Future Nowhere Practice - Rebecca Jensen, Collaboration - Alexa Wilson, Embodying Musicality - Maya. M.Carrol, Eco-Somatics - Ali East
photo by yin-chi lee
works
performance
title / choreographed by
minecraft film (2024)
rituals of similarity (2023-2024) - natasha & brittany kohler
auckland arts festival : light night (2023) - dance plant co.
nuance (2024) - work in development by holly finch
structure (2023) -bella wilson
magnificent remains (2021) - brittany kohler
orbit (2021) - natasha kohler
a-drift (2021) - tui hofmann
spellbound (2021) - jaz yahel & natasha kohler
entwined (2019) - dance plant co.
lite moves (2019) - dance plant co.
meat (2018-2019) - tui hofmann
the cost of arms and legs (2018) - dance plant co.
abyss between counts (2018) - works by celina torres & bella wilson
point (2018) - xavier breed
auckland art gallery : manifesto (2018) - dance plant co.
desire line(s) (2017) - dance plant co
old tricks new dogs (2017) - natalie maria clark
rushes (2017) - malia johnston
splore festival (2015, 2017, 2021, 2023) - dance plant co
the art of colour (2014) - malia johnston
various one-off performance and site specific work:
-karangahape road events, outlier festival, earthbeat festival,
comet project space, new zealand fashion week,
shoe extravaganza, auckland museum
photo by robb gunn
residencies + awards
imPulsTanz ATLAS (2024)
red leap theatre greenhouse residency (2022)
q theatre matchbox season (2023)
earthskin artist residency : the waygood foundation (2022)
tup lang choreographic award fund (2021)
lucy guerin inc : making a start residency (2019) - dance plant co.
studio one toi tu artist residency (2018) - dance plant co.
danz choreographic award (2018)
choreography
rituals of similarity (2023-2024) - co-choreographed with brittany kohler
auckland arts festival : light night (2023) - dance plant co.
body of earth (2022) - work in development by natasha kohler
orbit (2021) - natasha kohler
lite moves (2019) - dance plant co.
spellbound (2021) - jaz yahel & natasha kohler
entwined (2019) - dance plant co.
the cost of arms and legs (2018) - dance plant co.
desire line(s) (2017) - dance plant co
photo by yin-chi lee
photo by amanda billing
workshops / offerings
upcoming workshops
Bodies of Earth / eco somatic movement workshop November 2024
(more details to come)
past
Creative choreographic workshop Whangārei / ONEONESIX March 2024
Bodies of Earth / eco somatic movement workshop November 2023
Body of Earth movement workshop March 2022
Dance & movement workshop at REVIVE Festival 2020
contact
personal
email : natashakohler28@gmail.com
dance plant collective
email: danceplantcollective@gmail.com
instagram & facebook: @danceplantcollective
links:
photo by jinki cambronero