The Pacific Dance Festival has once again moved me by creating an avenue for the presentation of a glorious work presented by Rako Pasefika, a team of expectational international performers based out of Suva, capital of the beautiful South Pacific nation, Fiji. Suva is located north of North Island and is home to a population of about 260,000 and about 40,000 Fijians live in Auckland. Rako Pasefika focuses on creating works of music and dance artistry which presents the values and virtues of their culture in innovative and creative formats with immersive messages. 

Cloaks of Protection is a piece by Letila Mitchell which is part of the larger work MamaHanua. The piece is meant to create a space of awareness for what is happening in the world around us while also allowing for a process of healing. Cloaks of Protection inspires conversation and exploration into the matters which are presented in the piece. From start to finish, the audience is drawn in by the performers’ energy which is felt in not only their movements but also their expressions. You are mesmerized by their ability to command your attention with their Pacific dance style and their vocal precision. The piece builds from the start, taking you on the path of awakening to a point of revelation and through the process of healing until the close.

No member of the audience is left behind as the message in this performance carries you along the timeline of a deep story of the imbalance in the world. A highly touching aspect of the piece is watching the performers come together as both women and men to show purpose as individuals but an even higher and more uplifting purpose as a unit. Their key message is so well delivered that as an audience member I truly felt moved in the values of unity, community and love. There is so much power within the message of the piece but it truly best when seen, experienced and felt. The very heartbeat of the mama hanua, our mother earth, surrounds you in a cloak encouraging everyone to come together to pursue the courage to ascend out of despair and pain.

If you missed Friday night’s performance, I highly recommend you catch the closing night performance of Cloaks of Protection on Saturday June 23^rd 8PM at Mangere Arts Centre – Nga Tohu o Uenuku. The Pacific Dance Festival will also be drawing to a close on this day. 

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