The two Christophers danced together last weekend. Tara Ward breaks down this incredible moment in New Zealand history, move by move.
The latest gem in the rich treasure chest that is Christopher Luxon’s social media was unearthed on the weekend, and captured two of the country’s political leaders as we have never seen them before. The prime minister uploaded a 15-second video of himself and Labour leader Chris Hipkins having a lovely time together, dancing in public like they were born to do it.
The footage was taken at an Auckland event celebrating Indian Independence Day. Stuff reported that Indian singer Shibani Kashyap invited Luxon onstage to dance with her. Luxon then invited his colleague Hipkins onstage, telling the crowd the opposition leader was “an outstanding dancer”. How Luxon knew this about Hipkins is another story that deserves to be told, but Stuff noted that Luxon declared, “if I’m going to embarrass myself, he’s going to embarrass himself”.
Embarrass themselves? As if. No human or politician should ever feel ashamed about expressing their true self through the emotional medium of dance, which reveals more than words can ever say. Plus, music, dance and the creative arts contribute billions of dollars to the New Zealand economy, and this was clearly the moment the prime minister realised the value of shaking his moneymaker. “Just two dads getting in the groove for Indian Independence Day in South Auckland,” Luxon captioned the video.
Of course, it’s not the first time New Zealand politicians have dared to display their fancy footwork in public. Act MPs Rodney Hide and David Seymour stumbled through reality show Dancing With the Stars NZ, while Luxon leapt into the 2023 election campaign. His wife Amanda recently revealed that she and her husband took ballroom dancing lessons while they were dating. “He is a good dancer,” she told RNZ.
The evidence speaks for itself, Aotearoa. The latest video only lasts a few seconds, but it is a spectacular, mesmerising piece of footage. Every time I watch, I see something new – a surprising piece of arm spaghetti, a jaunty purse of the lips, a desperate glance towards the horizon. It must be exhausting for Luxon and Hipkins to toe the political party line all the time, but in this glorious moment, their twinkletoes were finally free.
Let’s take a spin around the dance floor with a frame-by-frame analysis of this gift that keeps on giving.
The video begins, as all good interpretive dances should, in the middle of a movement. Luxon’s body is already compelled by the beat. Kashyap holds Luxon’s right hand in the air while she sings, leaving him to jig on the spot while his left arm pumps and down. His knees bend together and his hips don’t lie, sweeping from side to side with an easy fluidity. Behind him, Hipkins gives his best form two shuffle, elbows glued to his sides, legs spread.
Both men are dancing like everyone is watching. Politics has been cast aside, official party talking points are discarded. Nobody is eating pavlova on top of a mountain, or mentioning how the coalition government reduced Matariki funding by 45%, or remembering that the prime minister didn’t attend Waitangi this year. Here, the only conversation is the hidden language of the soul. Now, there is only dance.
With a suppleness in his joints that just won’t quit, Luxon pouts and begins to jog up the stage, but the camera is pulled towards the disco magnetism radiating from Hipkins. Unlike the full-body commitment of Luxon, Hipkins merely leans to the left (predictable) and slowly bops to the beat. His style is consistent, his manner unflappable. His feet barely move, but the grin never leaves his face. Luxon may have the stage, but nobody puts Baby in the corner.
As his body frolics forward, Luxon turns his head back to where the nation’s awkward uncle continues to rock and sway. Luxon says something unintelligible to Hipkins – we can only assume it is a scream for help – but Hipkins remains glued to the spot.
Then, Luxon gets back on track. He’s saying “yes” to dance and bounds ahead of Kashyap, cutting shapes so enthusiastically that only his index finger remains in her grasp. She tries repeatedly to twirl him in a circle, but Luxon is oblivious. His body has been taken over by a force more powerful than a bad opinion poll. Fingers cannot stop him now. He is Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the Wicked press tour. He is defying gravity.
Luxon has officially found “the groove”. He uses his spare hand to reach down and undo the button on his suit jacket, so he can better release the dancer within.
Having bounded to the end of the stage, Luxon extends his arm and waves frenetically at the crowd. He continues to bounce enthusiastically, then rhythmically bobs his head from side to side, making his shoulders rock up and down in unison. It looks, for a fleeting moment, like he’s about to bust out ‘I’m A Little Teapot’.
Then, the video stops. This unforgettable vision is over all too soon, and we are forced to return to the bleak disappointment of our everyday lives. All we are left with is this final glimpse of the two leaders, dancing like their careers depend on it. Even though it only lasts a few precious seconds, this is a powerful reminder that politics is perhaps the greatest dance of all – and if you open your heart and your joints, the rhythm is indeed going to get you.
