How do we find our way back to where we come from — and what does it mean to return?
In Call to Wallis, choreographer Justin Haiu offers a powerful, contemporary dance‑theatre experience that explores this question with emotional depth and striking physicality. The work follows a Pacific Island–born individual raised in Aotearoa who feels the unmistakable pull of their ancestral homeland, Wallis Island. Through this journey, the piece weaves together themes of ancestry, belonging, and identity that resonate deeply across the Pacific diaspora.
Haiu blends hip‑hop, contemporary dance, Pacific movement traditions, live drumming, and theatrical storytelling to create a vivid, hybrid movement language. Each scene unfolds with playful, heartfelt, and sometimes confronting imagery — reflecting the complexities of navigating multiple cultural worlds while searching for a sense of home.
At the heart of Call to Wallis is a celebration of movement and memory. The exceptional cast — Leki Jackson Bourke, Petronilla Maletina Su’a‑Woo Ching, Justin Haiu, Aisea Latu, and Aloali’i Tapu — brings extraordinary energy and nuance to the stage. Their collective presence amplifies the work’s emotional landscape, embodying the tension between modern life and ancestral rhythm with precision and heart.
As the protagonist edges closer to Wallis Island, the journey becomes a metaphor for rediscovery — a reminder that reconnecting with our roots can be both grounding and transformative. Haiu’s choreography invites audiences to reflect on their own cultural connections, asking not only Where do we come from? but also How do those origins shape who we are today?
Call to Wallis stands as a monumental reflection on identity, heritage, and the enduring ties that bind us to our homelands. It is a work that lingers long after the final moment — urging us all to consider the pathways that lead us back to ourselves.
🎟️ Call to Wallis at the Pacific Dance Festival 2026
Tickets and full programme details available at pacificdance.org.nz
