"Ringing" by Leaf

My full name’s Laifa James Ta’ala graduated in 2018 from New Zealand School of Dance and I’ve worked MOTH (Movement Of The Human), Tūmove, Black Grace and Java Dance Company. 

I’m from Wellington – Wainui.  I Went to school at Wainui High.

My nana inspired me to dance, I only ever danced to make my nana dance and laugh. My other nana signed me up for a dance programme and they offered me a chance to audition at their school and that was my connection to the arts community. 

A future goal of mine as an artist is to explore audience immersion in dance and create a show where the audience gets an interactive experience instead as opposed to just watching the show.

TALA TUPU'A By Losaline Tupou

Tala Tupu’a – (Myths & Legends)

The piece was inspired by my grandparents, especially my grandma. She used to share bedtime stories to teach me the Tongan culture, networks, connections, why we do what we do. My grandma 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.

Losaline Tupou

Originally from Tu’atatakilangi, Kolomotu’a Tongatapu and Niua ‘Eua in Tonga but now residing in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt. 

Started dancing as a young girl (12) doing Tongan Ta’u’olunga then went on to do formal training in Siva Samoa, Ura Kuki Airani and Kapa Haka through Whitireia Performing Arts. 

I love to create from real life experiences and I relive my childhood memories through my choreography. I use dance as a way to keep my grandparents alive and connected because i am physically separated from them (they are based in Tonga and we’ve been through COVID and a volcanic eruption). 

Once I graduate from Whitireia I want to work towards building my own Tongan dance academy based in Wellington. I chose PDNZ as a follow-up from the Measina Festival where we performed the original development version of the piece. I wasn’t sure if I would make it in but then I got a response email and decided to take the opportunity to grow and give my team some exposure through the festival.

ROOTS by Anton Pulefale

“ROOTS” – ANTON PULEFALE

CREATIVE:

ANTON PULEFALE – CHOREOGRAPHER (with contribution from dancers)

Recent graduate of the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Dance Studies degree.

Niuean Descent, Raised in West Auckland

I am hoping to contribute more of my creative thinking and ideas in the Pasifika arts community and produce my own pieces in Aotearoa and around the world in the near future.

PERFORMERS:

ALEXANDRA TALA’IMANU PAGE

JAY LISIMONI

• This work defines my journey and process as an artist
• Representation of Niuean heritage and culture
• The Niuean practice of weaving being incorporated into the work inspired by his grandmother 
• The connection between the ink work on the body and the weaving
• Plastic exterior of weaving representing the skin and the flax representing the blood. What this connection feels like, and what it could look like.
• Incorporating Niuean movement and testing boundaries of 
• Seeing this work being important to Pacific Island peoples because of the narrative of being “Plastic” (Those who question their cultural integrity)

'MANAWA' by Keesha King

KEESHA KING – “MANAWA” 

CHOREOGRAPHED BY KEESHA KING

PERFORMED BY: KEESHA KING & JESSIE WITERIE

Kia Ora,

Ko Ramaroa te maunga

Ko Matawhao te waka

Ko Hokianga nui a Kupe to moana

Ko Matai ara nui te marae

Ko Ngapuhi nui tonu toku iwi

Ko Keesha King ahau

Manawa is a piece I choreographed a couple of years back and successfully entered into the Pacific Dance festival in 2019.

This work derived from a provocation “he aha tōku whakahihikotanga?” (what is my motivation?). This set stemmed from the loss of my Momma and the struggles I faced with finding the motivation to keep up with the responsibilities and commitments I have in my life.

The name ‘Manawa’ means ‘heart’ , a fitting name I thought and coincidentally a heart has four chambers – so my dancers and I came up with four ideas that are our motivators, independence, future generations, self-discovery, and whanau – these four motivations essentially made up four sections within the dance. 

Manawa is a Māori fusion piece with beautiful use of intricate arm pathways and solo, duo, trio moments. This piece has great use of pathways and level changes, as this piece moves from section to section the whole space is used and filled. 

'Wounds of the Womb' by Desiree Soo-Choon

CHOREOGRAPHED & PERFORMED BY: 

DESIREE SOO-CHOON 

PECIAL THANKS: 

JADYN SOO-CHOON

MUSIC:

RUNNING ON E BY BRENT FAIYAZ

FILMED & EDITED BY: 

TRISTAN PETUELI 

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 women in our aiga without placing blame on anyone specifically – just a mutual want to create a healthier relationship for our future daughters and bridge any disconnect between the current mothers. However, due to being born during different generations,  this can often cause difficulty in understanding one another and clashes of parenting styles. Our mothers have done the best they could with what they had but how can we as the future mothers prevent certain cycles from recurring? How do we break out of a cycle when there’s no one else to show us the ropes along the way.

Energy knows how to stay stored in our bodies and so through Wounds of the Womb, I want to explore themes of how to clear stagnant energy/unhealed trauma from our physical and spiritual bodies and acknowledge that we can heal the past by doing so.

We are birthed through our mothers womb carrying her hopes and dreams for a better future for her child  but what are the unspoken pains that you unknowingly bring out in to the world with you.

The concept behind this piece is a heavy one, especially being a Pasifika mother myself. Whether you’re a parent or not, a lot of Pasifika women are recently allowing for space to heal and realising the root of their trauma and what they can do to be  the generational cycle breaker in the Aiga.