Tongan wins NZ Pacific Dance Artist in Residence award [1]
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - 17:37. Updated on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - 17:40.
Photos by Sisi'uno Helu
A Tongan dance artist, Tuiahai Tu'i'afitu, is the first international recipient of the Pacific Dance Artist in Residence 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, who will get the chance to work with local schools, teach dance and deliver public workshops over a four week period from mid August to mid September.
Tuiahai is a Tongan dancer and choreographer and was part of the Atenisi Foundation for the Performing Arts (AFPA). He is the grandson of the late Professor ‘Ilaisa Futa Helu, founder of Atenisi University who influenced him from an early age in Tongan culture and arts.
“I grew up with dance and I think I learnt a thing or two from my late grandpa,” Tuiahai said. “I pretty much danced every day when I was young and I was always around AFPA.”
While attending Atenisi he travelled the world as part of AFPA's performing group.
“I love sharing our Tongan culture with others and always used to love the cross-cultural experience when we would go to other places. I had the chance to meet other types of people but even meeting our own Tongan communities in these places, they would be surprised when they saw us dance because we presented a style and technique they had not seen before, or at least experienced first-hand,” he said.
Pacific Dance NZ Director, Sefa Enara said that this year’s residency will end during the New Zealand Tongan Language Week in September, which this year has a theme of “Enriching Aotearoa with Tongan Arts’ - ‘Fakakoloa Aotearoa 'aki 'a e faiva 'a e Tongá’.
Tuiahai plans to teach the four pillars of heritage Tongan dance still practiced today.
- ‘Otuhaka – is a seated group dance with Samoan influence similar to the ma’ulu’ulu but with words and melody from older Samoan origins.
- Me’etu’upaki – is an ancient paddle dance of Tonga with Futunan links.
- Fahai-ula (ula) – is the predecessor of the tau’olunga, originally performed by chiefly daughters.
- Tau’olunga – stems from Samoan origins and developed into Tongan form from the 1800’s with the addition of moves by Queen Sālote of distinct Tongan wrist flourishes and lakalaka leg transitions in the 1950’s.
He will deliver workshops three times a week from 15 August to 10 September 2016. See more details at http://www.pacificdance.co.nz/index.php [2].