The Pacific Dance New Zealand team was honoured to be part of this year's Mīharo Murihiku Polyfest in Invercargill: a week filled with culture, language, dance, music and community.
Mīharo was a special opportunity to connect with our communities in the South, and to celebrate the many ways dance continues to carry our stories, languages and identities across generations.
Bringing Lalanga to the South
In collaboration with the Centre for Pacific Languages, we took Lalanga to Mīharo. Choreographed by Leilani-Grace Tonu'u and created with Juels Silolo, Komai Waqalevu and Petronilla Sua-Wooching, the work grew from a group of friends coming together to make something that speaks across the Pacific.
Lalanga means to weave. The creative team chose the word because it is familiar across so many Pacific cultures, and because the practice behind it is shared too. The work follows the journey of the pandanus, from the plant to a finished woven piece, and celebrates the knowledge of how it is grown, prepared, woven and used across the Pacific. Woven fans become part of the dance, showcasing our arts and what it means to work with our own resources.
The team was struck by how warmly the Mīharo festival welcomed and embraced the artists from Tāmaki Makaurau. For many of the children and families in the deep South, it was a rare chance to experience Pacific culture, arts and storytelling up close, and to see their own stories reflected on stage.
A huge thank you to the Mīharo Murihiku team for welcoming us, and for continuing to create a space where our cultures can be celebrated and shared. Thank you also to SkyCity for funding our participation.
Watch the highlights from an incredible week in Murihiku on our Facebook, and follow along with #PacificDanceNZ and #MiharoMurihikuPolyfest.
