Pacific Dance New Zealand is proud to announce Aloali‘i Tapu as the 2025 Artist in Residence, with an eight-week residency to be held in Apia, Samoa, from 2 August to 27 September 2025. The residency is delivered in partnership with Creative New Zealand and the National University of Samoa.
Tapu, a mid-career artist of Samoan descent, is known for his fearless and interdisciplinary practice, exploring themes of identity, masculinity, movement, and collective memory. Appointed by Pacific Dance NZ Director Iosefa Enari MNZM, this residency recognises Tapu’s outstanding contribution to Pacific dance in Aotearoa and internationally.
“Tapu is part of a generation redefining the language of contemporary Pacific dance in Aotearoa,” says Enari. “This residency is about supporting him to take time, to dream, and to reconnect — with Samoa, with community, and with his creative lineage.”
Founded in 2010, the Artist in Residence (AiR) programme was one of only two artist residencies for Pacific creatives in Aotearoa — and the only one focused solely on Pacific dance. It was created to support artists to deepen their research, engage directly with communities, and evolve their creative voice in culturally grounded ways.
Initially hosted in Tāmaki Makaurau, Wellington, and Porirua, the programme has welcomed a growing legacy of artists including Kumu Blaine Kia (Hawai‘i), Tuiahau Tuiafitu (Tonga), and Villa Junior Lemanu (Samoa). In 2023, the AiR was relocated to Samoa, recognising the Moana as an interconnected creative space and extending the programme’s reach into the wider Pacific.
“The relocation of our residency to Samoa is a partnered project with Creative NZ,” explains Enari. “It allows us to support NZ-based artists at a critical development stage while giving back to Samoa’s arts scene through interaction in the spirit of sharing.”
For Tapu, this residency is both professional and personal. He will travel with his wife and co-director of Ta‘alili, Tori Manley-Tapu, their three children, and his father and collaborator Folasaitu Laloaoa Tapu — making the journey a multi-generational return to their Samoan roots.
“This residency offers precious time to expand our research, dream, and explore new directions in our work,” says Tapu. “It’s also a chance for our children to feel the land, the language, the songs, and the dances that have shaped our life.”
Known for works that weave futurism, time-space storytelling, and collective dreaming, Tapu will continue this exploration while based in Fagali‘i, working closely with local artists and community organisations. He plans to deliver public workshops, collaborate with groups like Brown Girl Woke, and engage in creative exchange across Samoa’s dynamic arts sector.
“There’s a powerful new wave of thinkers and performers rising through grassroots programmes and collectives,” Tapu shares. “It’s a privilege to be part of that energy and to contribute where we can.”
Tapu’s residency will culminate in a public showing in late September, offering a glimpse into his evolving work. Pacific Dance NZ hopes this early development will lead to a full-scale presentation at the Pacific Dance Festival 2026.
“Being in Samoa, especially during an election year, offers a powerful backdrop to reflect, respond, and stay connected to the futures we’re imagining,” Tapu notes. “Art and dance are not just expressions — they’re ways of holding space, of carrying memory forward.”
Throughout the residency, Tapu will document the journey through video, writing, and social media, offering audiences across the Pacific a behind-the-scenes look into his process — and the wider cultural reconnection the residency embodies.
Follow Aloali‘i Tapu’s journey on our social platforms and sign up to our newsletter for updates, insights, and announcements about public events in Samoa.
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📷 Image credit: Elijah Kennar
