Pacific Dance Festival promises new performances

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Auckland, June 3, 2018

The annual Pacific Dance Festival promises this year to offer audiences a fresh and diverse showcase of works by Pacific choreographers in a season celebrating New Zealand’s vibrant Pacific dance scene.

The Festival, now in its third year, began on June 2 and will continue until June 23, 2018.

It has expanded to a month of events including live performances, workshops, a film screening, and a Pacific dance costume exhibition.

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni inaugurated the Festival, which also marked the official opening of the Costume Exhibition on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Mangere Arts Centre.

Born out of the Pacific Dance Choreographic Laboratory (since 2009), the festival provides an opportunity for Pacific choreographers to create, develop, and perform original dance works in a celebration of Pacific cultures.

Return of Aloali’i Tapu

Headlining the programme is the return of Aloali’i Tapu, the #SonofOtara, who has been based in Germany in recent years. After winning Germany’s national prestigious Faust Award for Best Dancer in 2016, he returns to premiere his new solo and full-length work, ‘Goodbye Naughton.’

The Festival was launched with the diversity programme Moana featuring works by Tia Sagapolutele, Lyncia Muller, Rikki Tofi and an ensemble piece by New Zealand School of Dance graduates.

Electrifying performances

The performances included a debut from artiste Jacob Tamata of leading arts collective ‘Coven,’ premiering his new work ‘Bionica,’ produced by ‘Fafswag.’ A showcase double-bill (Pou and Anga) featured Aue Dance’s Vivian Aue and Manu Collective’s Xavier Muao Breed while Blueprint presented by SUB and lead Tu Move choreographers Connor Masseurs and Toa Paranihi was an eclectic mix of hip hop, contemporary and the theatrical.

Fijian Group

Marking the first international show to be programmed in the Pacific Dance Festival, Fijian performing arts group Rako Pasefika will be making their debut visit to Aotearoa.

Rako Pasefika have performed across the globe to critical acclaim and will perform five festival shows from June 21 to June 23 June, 2018, following their appearance in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.

“We have travelled almost everywhere else in the world, but never to the capital of the Pacific – Auckland!” Rako Director Paul Dominiko said

“It is an exciting moment for us to finally share our story with our Aotearoa family, and hopefully hear some stories ourselves.”

Largest Polynesian City

Being the world’s largest ‘Polynesian City,’ Auckland has long led the Global Pacific arts scene. The Festival provides a platform to express Pacific dance across genre and format; this year across medium too.

Co-presented by the Auckland Museum and Pacific Dance New Zealand, the Mangere Arts Centre Gallery will be adorned by a unique dance costuming Exhibition, ‘Fa’aliga: Beyond The Grass Skirt.’

‘Fa’aliga’ in Samoan means to ‘reveal something’ or a ‘revelation’ and this Exhibition, along with the performance programme, promises to be exactly that.

A number of precious Pacific dance costumes, on loan from Auckland Museum’s collections, will be displayed in public for the first time, offering an eye-opening view of the diversity of Pacific cultural costumes. Co-curated by new vision artist Rosanna Raymond and Festival Director Sefa Enari, the Exhibition includes items contributed by the artists included in the festival; offering another view of the diverse modern urban Pacific diaspora.

Pacific Dance on Screen

In another first, the Festival is also heading into the Central City, with the Auckland Art Gallery playing host to Pacific Dance On Screen on June 10, 2018.

A joint venture between Pacific Dance New Zealand, Auckland Art Gallery, Pollywood Pasifika Film and Pacific Islanders in Film & TV, the curated programme will be a free screening of short films themed around dance from across the Pacific.

Development Workshops

A number of dance and professional development workshops will also be held at various locations throughout the city by Dione Joseph, Rako Pasefika, New Zealand School of Dance and Tahiti Ia Ora. A new work will also be created during the festival by Wellington’s leading Pacific dance troupe – Le Moana at Te Oro Arts Centre.

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