September 14, 2011

PACIFIC DANCE CHOREOGRAPHIC LAB CHOREOGRAPHERS ANNOUNCED  

Pacific Dance New Zealand in association with DANZ, Creative New Zealand and Auckland Council announce the successful applicants to the 2011 Pacific Dance Choreographic Laboratory.

The successful recipients are:
Tepaeru-Ariki Lulu French (Cook Islands)
Sesilia Pusiaki Tatuila (Tonga)
Ojeya Cruz Banks (Guahan)

The three emerging to mid-career choreographers will have the opportunity to develop dance works over a three-week period between September 26^th and October 14^th. This will culminate in a showing of work on Friday, October 14^th at the Mangere Arts Centre – Ng Tohu o Uenuku.

The three successful choreographers will also have the opportunity to be mentored by well-known dancer and artistic director Neil Ieremia.

Neil has been at the forefront of Pacific contemporary dance since he established Black Grace in 1995.

He says he is “chuffed” to be involved and looking forward to what the choreographers come up with.

Iosefa Enari, director of Pacific Dance New Zealand, says he is well pleased with the selection of this year’s choreographers and especially pleased to have Neil come on board for this exciting laboratory.

The chosen choreographers come from a range of backgrounds and were selected by a committee of community representatives and project partners to undergo the laboratory.

Pacific Dance NZ’s dance development officer and laboratory project leader, Filoi Vaila’au, says the level of applicants this year was high but in the end the choreographers were chosen because they offered well thought-out proposals which also offered something different to past years of the lab.

Ojeya Cruz Banks is the most experienced of the three choreographers. She is of Guahan (Guam/Chamorro) descent and is currently a lecturer and choreographer in dance studies at the University of Otago. Banks is an accomplished academic and dance researcher holding a PH.D from the University of Arizona and having published various pedagogy and dance themed works.

Tepaeru-Ariki Lulu French is of Cook Islands descent, holds a masters of (medical) science and has been an instructor of Cook Islands dance in a number of dance groups, institutions and schools. In her youth she was junior dance champion in her home Island of Aitutaki and since moving to New Zealand has been part of a number of groups well known in New Zealand Polynesian dance circles – Ura Tabu, Pacific Expressions and the long standing group Anuanua Dance Troupe (of which she is still a member).

Sesilia Pusiaki Tatuila is the youngest of this year’s choreographers and comes from a family with a tradition of Tongan performing arts. She has been emersed in Tongan arts and dance since childhood and has had years of performing and tutoring Tongan dance. Her most recent performance experience has been in theatrical productions with PIPA (Pacific Institute of Performing Arts), LIMA Dance Theatre and the Kila Kokonut Krew.

The Pacific Dance Choreographic Laboratory 2011 will be launched on Monday 26^th September at Metro Theatre (East Mangere Hall) at 10am. This will be followed by a master class by Neil Ieremia.

The lab will culminate in a showing of works at the Mangere Arts Centre – Ng Tohu o Uenuku on Friday October 14^th at 7pm.