Pacific Dance New Zealand Takes Contemporary Dance to Fiji Press Release

Thursday 28th March, 2013

An initiative taking dance expertise and experience to Fiji is about to launch next week (April 2nd – 5th).

Pacific Dance New Zealand, a not-for-profit dance development organisation based in Auckland, New Zealand, will be taking New Zealand based choreographers to the shores of Fiji (Suva) to work with local high school students and Suva based dancers.

This follows on from an initial pilot programme last year, whereby Pacific Dance New Zealand partnered with local dance company “Vou” to run similar professional development workshops with local dance companies (Rako, the Conservatorium of Music, Kabu ni Vanua, iTaukei meke, Masti) and the public.

Pacific Dance New Zealand director Sefa Enari says, “It was a great first up experience last year. But after discussions with local partners and the New Zealand High Commission in Suva (through Trade Commissioner Peter Lund) we wanted to follow-up on what were some very successful workshops and look to greater outcomes and partnerships for the future.”

This includes furthering relationships with local partners including the University of the South Pacific’s Oceania Centre for Arts and Culture, Rako and this time round supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its Suva High Commission. Enari,

“The idea is to build these workshops into longer and more complex exchanges whereby local practitioners may gain from dance and theatre expertise that we will bring from New Zealand and hopefully work towards a production or two. But, it is not only at this level that we will be working. We also want to develop relations at a higher level, including the development of regional goals in terms of setting up and developing a Pacific Dance Alliance. So, it is a two-fold exchange and outreach programme we are delivering.”

During this initial short workshop series, Pacific Dance New Zealand will be delivering with support from its local partners a range of contemporary dance techniques and teachings both from Mr Enari and Auckland based choreographer Tupua Tigafua (New Zealand Dance Company). They will also deliver traditional dance teachings around Samoan dance to show the possibilities of choreography using a traditional dance set such that is exhibited in Samoan dance. This part of the workshop series will be delivered by Pacific Dance New Zealand’s main Samoan siva (dance) tutor – Filoi Vaila’au.

Enari gives some background; “These tutors are very good at what they do. Tupua has danced for some of New Zealand’s top dance companies and is currently dancing for the New Zealand Dance Company. Filoi on the other hand dances in various cultural groups but really has excelled in the specialisation within the Samoan cultural dance style and in teaching it. Both quite different but offering qualities of which we think the participants in the workshops will take away much – along with the workshops I am delivering.”

The team also has a fourth member with them, Aaron Taouma, who will be handling communications, video recording, media engagement and working on the longer term plans along with Mr Enari.

For contact with the group, email: Aaron Taouma marketing@pacificdance.co.nz Ph: +64 22 123 1050 For NZ High Com in Fiji, contact:

New Zealand High Commission Suva | Te Aka Aorere T +679 331 1531 M +679 779 0835 F +679 330 0842 E peter.lund@mfat.govt.nz

The Pacific Dance NZ Fiji Outreach Programme is supported by: The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rako Pasefika Productions, Air Pacific and Pacific Dance NZ.