Pacific Dance Fono 2012. Sustain Your Dance

Pacific Dance Fono 2012. Sustain Your Dance

For the sixth year, Pacific Dance NZ will host this significant dance fono for New Zealand based Pacific dance practitioners. This year the fono will be launched with the keynote address from World renowned dance artist and choreographer Lemi Ponifasio, NZ Arts Laureate 2011 and artistic director of Mau Dance Company.

The fono will be an opportunity to hear from speakers who are involved in the maintenance, preservation, delivery and advancement of Pacific dance practices in New Zealand. It will be presented at the AUT Univeristy Manukau Campus and feature a number of speakers including Lemi Ponifasio (Mau), Susan Jordan (Regional Manager DANZ), Makerita Urale (CNZ), Tanya Muagututi’a (Pasifika Festival) and Iosefa Enari (PDNZ). The fono also features a range of local practitioners who will contribute to the fono, they include the 2012 Pacific artist in residence Sesilia Pusiaki Tatuila, Lulu French (Pacific Muse), Terry Faleono (performance artist) as well as Ennaolla Paea (founding director of Street Dance New Zealand). This year the University of Auckland Dance Studies post graduate Pacific students Nita Latiu, Teuila Hughes and Seidah Karati will also make a presentation in response to this year’s theme.

Pacific Dance New Zealand director Iosefa Enari has delivered this fono for the past 6 years. “Each fono is planned with a theme to frame the day. Given the current economic environment and the difficulties facing our current artists to keep their businesses afloat, this year’s theme is apt,” states Enari. “We’re pleased to welcome all of this year’s speakers from the emerging and established voices of our community.”

This is an important event in the New Zealand dance calendar for all Pacific dance practitioners who wish to engage and network with the larger dance community. The range of academics, managers, hip hop performers, entertainers, cultural and contemporary choreographers and dancers make this year’s fono an exciting opportunity to network and hear from the various sectors of dance represented in the Auckland dance landscape.

The fono is held at the Manukau Campus Conference Centre, MD Building, Level 1, AUT Manukau site, 640 Great North Road on Saturday 19 May 2012. The fono will start at 10am – 4pm.

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