Lifting Off

LIFTING OFF:

Whitireia Polytechnic dancers Paris Evans (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Samoan) and Krystal Clarke (Ngāti Porou) prepare for Portugal and are set to be the stars of a new webs series; Poly Movement - Kaikanikani.

Passport - check.

Dancing shoes, well actually…. bare feet ready to move - check.

They’re off!

Young, talented Māori and Pacific Island dancers from Wellington’s Whitireia Polytechnic are tweaking their moves as they prepare for an international dance festival in Portugal - and there’s little under three weeks till lift off.

The festival: Danças do Mundo World Dances held in the small town of Argoncile (approx 25km south of Porto, Portugal) will host dance troupes from eight countries, including five Portuguese groups.

Our New Zealand dancers (and students) from Whitireia Polytechnic will be showcasing their own Māori and Pacific Island flair on stage as part of their Bachelor of Applied Arts studies.

For some of the 24 Pacific dancers, this will be their first time leaving Aotearoa - their first time on a plane. And with a film crew in tow, every moment from onstage action to backstage drama will be captured in the new web series Poly Movement – Kaikanikani.

Traveling equates to personal growth - but what will their individual highlights be?

The web series will explore the dancers’ experiences; cultural differences and similarities; challenges and triumphs.

While in Portugal the dancers will share one giant bedroom, a gymnasium, alongside other dance groups. They’ll also share all their meals together, which some are already accustomed to; “It’ll be just like Marae-styles,” says dancer Krystal Clarke.

“These dancers are unique as their repertoire covers Māori, Cook Island, Samoan and contemporary dance forms. Their training schedule is relentless - they’re an inspiring group giving show stopping performances all of New Zealand and the Pacific can be proud of,” says web series Producer Natasha Sinclair.

From hard knocks to comfortable backgrounds, each dancer has their own twist on how they came to study at Whitireia Polytechnic. International travel woven into their study is just one glamorous step in this demanding BA. It’s foundation begins with a more humble beat; “We are grounding young people, making them proud of who they are, and where they come from, and to know where they’re going,” says Tuaine-Nurse Tamarua Robati, Artistic Director of Applied Arts at Whitireia Polytechnic.

ENDS

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