Pacific Dance NZ Update

Pacific Dance NZ Update

Tempo Dance Fest 2013

Warm Pacific Greetings,

Pacific Dance NZ would like to congratulate all of the choreographers and dancers who took part in our shows at this year's Tempo Dance Festival. We'd also like to thank the parents and supporters who came along to help and show their support by buying tickets.

We featured two shows - Fatu na Toto & Pacific Dance Triple Bill - as well as putting our kids on the big stage as part of the Kids Show.

Fatu na toto had the honour of being the first show in the festival to sell-out and by popular demand we were the only show to open the final dress rehearsal to the public. Great news for both Pacific Dance NZ and the shows choreographer Tupe Lualua. You can read a review here.

The Pacific Dance Triple Bill also had a sell-out night and it was great to see the variety of audience come into this show, including a delegation from Tonga. Congrats to Charlene Tedrow, Olivia Taouma and Mario Faumui. You can read a review of the show here.
Again thank you to all the parents who helped with the Kids Show. It was a lot of fun and the kids seemed to really enjoy the opportunity.

Thanks to Tempo Fest and congratulations to all of the other participants and shows.

Pacific Dance Choreographic Laboratory 2013

Mangere Arts Centre, Saturday, 2nd November 7pm

Part of the SouthSide Arts Festival 2013.

Book your tickets here -
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2013/pacific-dance-choreolab/auckland/mangere

This is the fifth year of the Pacific Dance Choreographic Lab and Pacific Dance NZ is excited with what this year has to offer. After five years of presenting this event, we have seen it go from strength to strength.
The Pacific Dance Choreographic Lab is a programme this year features as part of the SouthSide Arts Festival and is designed to give three up-and-coming Pacific choreographers the opportunity to work with a group of dancers and a mentor to devise, develop and present a dance work.

This year's choreographers are: Nikki Upoko, Amo Ieriko and Santana Schmidt.
This year's senior dance mentor is Louise Potiki-Bryant.
The three choreographers mentored by Louise have worked with a total of 20 dancers over a period of two-months and are now ready to show what they've come up with.

Come along and support these choreographers on their journey.

Although it's a free event be sure to get in by booking here - http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2013/pacific-dance-choreolab/auckland/mangere

Thank you for your support. Read more below about this year's lab.

Nikki Upoko is currently studying dance at M.I.T (Manukau Institute of Technology). She is of Cook Islands descent and her piece is called Vaine Toa.

This is what Nikki had to say about the piece.

"When the opportunity presented itself for me to apply for this choreographic lab, I knew I had to take it. Although many choreographers have explored the social, cultural and political aspects of womanhood in the past, this is a challenging opportunity to present these issues in an innovative way. This piece aims to capture the inner strength that all women possess and express it through Cook Islands/Contemporary dance. From our sisters, to our mothers, to our female Pacific ancestors, one theme is present throughout all generations - Vaine Toa - Female Warrior."

In one word - "Strength."

You can read more about Nikki and the inspiration behind her piece here.

Amo Ieriko is of Samoan descent and has had many years of experience as a Pacific Islands dancer. With expertise in Pan Pacific dance, especially those of Samoan, Cook Islands and Tahitian Amo is well versed both in heritage dance and drumming. He is currently the director of Polynesian Entertainers.

This is what Amo had to say about his piece called "Vavau" - Chronicles of Saofaileta:

Vavau begins when my late uncle Saofaileta Komisi (and Luailelupe) allowed development of beach fales on the burial ground of our ancestors.

This resulted in many unexplained events for my family, with tales of the ancestor’s bones crying out to be returned to their resting place, as well as a long political standoff with the village, which eventually led to Saofaileta Komisi’s banishment from the village. Sadly he died and was buried here in NZ; never to have set foot on his home again.

Vavau will explore this family legend, with detailed account of events from family members. From the removal and preparing of the ancestors bones, to the distress it brought to the family while they were stored in the family home and to the time of their re-burial at Mt Vavau or Mauga a Sao.

Vavau village is on the South East end of Upolu, Samoa. It is part of Lotofaga District.

In one word - "Heritage".

You can read a Q & A about Amo and is work here.

Santana Schmidt is of Samoan, Cook Islands, German and Chinese descent. She is a recent graduate of Auckland University's Bachelor of Dance Studies and is currently undergoing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary). Besides much other contemporary dance experience, Santana has also been involved as a dancer in our choreo labs since 2010 and it has been a pleasing sight to see her progress from the role of dancer to now taking the reigns as a choreographer in the lab.

Here's what Santana had to say about her piece called #Hashtag.

#Hashtag is a concept that deals with the pressure of networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, AskFM and many others, that allows us to ‘act’ like a bully, ‘judge’ and ‘admire’. A simple comment and ‘like’ could mean a million things but what are you really thinking? That’s my question. What do we think about when someone uploads a new picture on Facebook via Instagram? Why do people #hashtag when you could just say exactly that under the description comment box? Why do we spend so much time adding special effects to pictures or blemishing our pimples before we post a picture up? Why is it that whatever we share with the world is something edited? thought about a lot? or flows with the trend everyone is talking about? Are we getting a bit obsessive?

Complimented by poems, thoughts and words observed and expressed by personal past experiences with the effects of social media networking, spoken word is a format that has shifted our generation to express themselves like none before. Therefore will be the main drive for this piece. What we type, what we think matters and I think that is something we need to expose.

I am a victim of being a ‘bully’, ‘judging’ others and ‘admiring’ what social media offers to people like myself; and I hope in-return others will come out and front up about this idea turned issue.

In one word - "Truth".

You can read a little more about Santana and her work here.

Louise Potiki Bryant is this year's senior dance mentor. A dance artist with year's of experience, Louise describes herself as a "Choreographer" "Video Artist" and "Dancer". She has created many works with Atamira Dance Company (of which she is a recurrent member) as well as choreographing for companies such as Black Grace and Curve. Louise's latest work "Tumutumu" recently featured in this year's Tempo Festival.

This is what she had to say about the challenge of being this year's Pacific Dance Mentor.

"I feel very honoured to have been asked to be this year's senior mentor to the Pacific Dance Choreographic Laboratory. This is a wonderful initiative by Pacific Dance New Zealand, to support the development of new Pacific dance works and a fantastic opportunity for all involved."
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