MOANA Showcase – Tala Tupu’a
Tapa Tupu'a by Losaline Tupou features in our MOANA Showcase 2022. The piece was inspired by Losaline's grandparents, especially her grandma. She used to share bedtime stories to teach her the Tongan culture, networks, connections and why we do what we do. Losaline's grandmother made stories entertaining to target her grandchildren so they would be engaged. I chose the story of Hikule’o to create an opportunity to share the stage with all my sisters. We asked Losaline to use 5 power words to describe her short piece that features classics from the late HM Queen Salote (Loka Siliva) and Tuimalo Kalo
New dance reclaims old worlds
Lavinia Lovo has a question. Pacific peoples of all ability face challenges, she begins. So why are some identifying by physical disability first, Lovo asks, not cultural identity like most others Pasefika? “We have to stop identifying only by disability and start with culture,” she says to an audience of around 80 people, in July. Tightly-circled, that call was made at an event at Papaptoetoe town hall, hosted by YesDisability, PHAB Pacific and VakaTautua. “Without that identity, the culture is lost, and the message is lost.” Born with spina bifida just before the new millennium, Lovo is young enough as a youth leader to
Pacific Dance New Zealand 2022 Artist in Residence
Pacific Dance New Zealand's 2022 Artist in Residence is Tupumaiaga A Niue Trust. Omai Ke Koli Auloa, Siohooohoooe! Photo Credit: Raymond Sagapolutele The Tupumaiaga A Niue Trust are our 2022 Artist in Residence with a 9-week action-packed schedule that will cover all aspects of Niuean heritage arts, culture and dance with some of Niue’s finest masters. On the back of winning the Creative New Zealand Pacific Heritage Arts Award in 2021, the trust win is an acknowledgement of their work that has been established since 2007 to provide and promote Niuean cultural heritage workshops to Niue youth and families. It is also a recognition
The Transform Series II – ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani 2022
This year’s theme for ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week is ‘Ātuitui’ia au ki te Oneone o tōku ‘Ui Tupuna which means, connect me to the soil of my ancestors. We release three new episodes in our Transform Series II 2022 featuring our Aotearoa based Cook Island artists. Pacific Dance NZ will release 3 unique episodes to make the annual Cook Islands Language Week program. The episodes were all filmed in 2021 navigating lockdowns and alert level changes. Featuring three Aotearoa based Cook Island artists using dance to share their stories of
WATCH ‘SHIFTING CENTRE’ by young creatives Sefa & Oto
'Shifting Centre' is an exploration of what Aotearoa would look like if Pacific Peoples were at the centre of the narrative in all facets of society. First developed in Le Moana's Measina Makers LAB 2021, the dance film merges street and contemporary dance to highlight the intrinsic excellence imbued within our Pasifika communities. A collaboration between Sefa Tunupopo & Oto Lupo, Shifting Centre highlights the intrinsic excellence imbued within our Polynesian people. Moulding street and contemporary dance, this piece presents an insight into a world of possibilities and what Aotearoa may look like if our Polynesian People were shifted from the margins to the centre. In
Watch MOANA featuring ‘WOUNDS OF THE WOMB’ – by Desiree Soo-Choon
CHOREOGRAPHED & PERFORMED BY: DESIREE SOO-CHOON SPECIAL THANKS: JADYN SOO-CHOON MUSIC: RUNNING ON E BY BRENT FAIYAZ FILMED & EDITED BY: TRISTAN PETUELI WATCH HERE Wounds of the Womb is a story of exploring the inter-generational trauma passed through the womb. As a mother, I acknowledge the hurt the mothers before me have had to encounter and how this has influenced my style of parenting. Sometimes the hurt we harbour is not of our own but of our ancestors that were not given the chance to heal from them properly. And thus forms another cycle through the next wom(b)an. The importance of this message is to generate talanoa between the
NOW STREAMING: ‘Concrete Bloom’ – The Film by Ta’alili & Manurewa High School
Concrete Bloom, brings together performing artists from Manurewa High School and friends of Ta’alili for an evening of shared dreamscapes and dystopian revolutions.
CASTING CALL – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
OPPORTUNITY FOR DANCERS IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA Good Oil are casting for a commercial in Australia shooting in September and are looking for dancers aged between 30-45 to audition. Full details on the casting brief below. Great opportunity for our dancers here in NZ as well as Australian based artists. If you are interested please make contact directly with Frith Horan via email: frith@goodoilfilms.com. www.goodoilfilms.com Good-Oil_Casting-Brief_NZ-DancersDownload
Daniel Mateo – from ‘A New Dawn – ‘Aho’eitu’
Radio New Zealand Interview with Daniel Mateo Recording courtesy of Radio New Zealand. Daniel Mateo is a 20 year old Gamilaraay descendant from Northern NSW, Australia as well as a descendant from Ma’ufanga, Tonga. Daniel studied at NAISDA Dance College and is now a contemporary dancer, performing with Bangarra Dance Theatre. Daniel dances in Sisi'uno Helu's 'A New Dawn' a dance depiction of the story of 'Aho'eitu, the son of Tangaloa. The work explores the preparation of a journey into the unknown of a young Tongan prince named 'Aho'eitu to meet his Father - the ancient God Tangaloa who lived in
Kids Dance Pacific – School Holiday Prog
Kids Dance Pacific - July 22 School Holiday Programme Looking for ideas for the school holidays? AND FREE? Look no further….Kids Dance Pacific is hosting a 1 week prog for you. DATES: 18 - 22nd JULY, 10am - 1.30pm Daily VENUE: Te Oro Arts Centre, Line Road, Glen Innes OPEN to all school aged children 6yrs - 16yrs LEARN dances from the Cook Islands, Samoa and Hip Hop/Street Dance There will be a showcase for parents on Friday 22nd July, 11.30am and all children will receive a certificate for participation. Children will need to bring their own snacks and refreshments and face masks are highly recommended. The
TUVALU LANGUAGE WEEK 2021
Tuvalu Language Week: Sunday 26th September – 2nd October. On Thursday 30th September 2021 at 6pm we will share with our audiences a short piece that documents the journey of our 2020 Artist in Residence Molia Alama-Tulafono from Tuvalu. ‘We tell our stories through the art of dancing, and we empower our young people to embrace their language, culture and heritage. We develop creative, confident and resilient leaders through the art of dance and costume making. The vision is to continue to invest in our cultural dance practices and progress into prominent leadership to identify and address issues and be a beacon of light for
Pacific Dance NZ Movement
Just for YOU…. #PACIFICDANCENZMOVEMENT Pacific Dance NZ have embarked on a journey of setting world records with our traditional dances. Earlier this month during Fiji Language Week we set a world first record with having over 350 people online performing a contemporary ‘Meke’ with our Artist in Residence 2021, Alipate Traill.The response to the online ‘Meke’ was overwhelming given that we had people joining in from Europe and the USA to participate. There was a dance collective from Laie, Hawaii online dancing as well as the Te Mana Performing Arts Academy from West Auckland leading the dance. We will attempt to better that
Pacific Dance NZ Festival 2022 Nationwide Callout
Expressions of Interest Pacific Dance NZ invites Expressions of Interest from dancers, choreographers, filmmakers and costume designers who wish to take part in the Pacific Dance Festival 2022 season which will be held in Auckland and regionally. The festival is an exciting opportunity to be part of a unique dance event showcasing and promoting contemporary Pacific dance and film in Aotearoa. Pacific Dance NZ plans to offer exciting performance works for the 2022 season of the festival and is proud to offer this opportunity to Pacific dance practitioners. The 2022 festival has been funded by Creative New Zealand to support Pacific dancers and
Pacific Dance New Zealand Presents 2021 Choreographic Lab
The Pacific Dance NZ (PDNZ) annual Choreographic Lab for 2021 forges ahead during COVID-19 alert levels, where the desire to connect with bubbles and live audiences can only be realised virtually. In our 12th annual Choreographic Lab we are committed to continuing to provide an authentic springboard for our emerging – mid career Pacific artists where they can research, explore and develop their vision and ideas for their next works with a supported mentorship programme. Our 2021 cohort of choreographers are: Tupe Lualua (CNZ Contemporary Pacific Artist Award 2021), Desiree Soo-Choon and Anton Pulefale. Our artists represent a diverse creative community here in Aotearoa who
Pacific couture clothing takes centre stage at Pacific Dance Festival – TVNZ
After a year-long hiatus due to Covid-19, the festival was back with a bang this year. In a first for the festival and a first for a Cook Islander designer, the Te Pō fashion show embodied modern Pacific evening wear, avant-garde style. Around 200 people gathered at Auckland War Memorial Museum to witness the spectacle that was the Te Pō fashion show, which also featured Pasifika dance, all choreographed by Hosking-Aue himself. Te Pō means “the night” in Cook Island and Māori language, and this fashion show was all about that; evening wear glamour. Hosking-Aue described his new collection as “really couture, really outrageous