Tag Archives: Samoan

Black Grace Thrill in New York

Black Grace Thrill in New York

New Zealand contemporary dance company Black Grace wowed New York Times’ dance critic Brian Seibert during its debut season at the Joyce Theater with “an exhilarating, seemingly inexhaustible energy.” Seibert lauded the “unaffected style…

Rangi Ruru schoolgirls win praise Polyfest performance

Rangi Ruru schoolgirls win praise Polyfest performance

Forty-nine Rangi Ruru students, from mixed ethnicities, performed ientirely n the Samoan language at the recent 2013 Auckland Polyfest. Their performamce was ‘awesome’, ‘creative’ and ‘spellbinding,’ according to the Samoa Observer. ‘The vociferous applause…

Samoan wins first ever NZ Pacific Scholarship Award

Samoan wins first ever NZ Pacific Scholarship Award

Outstanding Samoan student Epifania Afano’s winning of the first ever New Zealand Pacific Scholarship Academic Achievement Award was recognised by the Samoa Observer. Epifania is a received her award at Victoria University, Wellington. Epifania…

Unique Island Perspective

Unique Island Perspective

New Zealand’s first-ever entry in the foreign-language Oscar race, Samoan-born director Tusi Tamasese’s debut feature The Orator is being hailed as a brave new voice in world cinema. Orator is pioneering in more ways than that:…

Awesome US deal

Awesome US deal

Auckland hip-hop talent David Dallas, formerly known as Con Psy, has partnered with American label Duck Down Records in a publishing, distributing, and marketing deal. The half-Samoan artist reached No. 1 on the New…

Super Contract for Tony

Super Contract for Tony

Former New Zealand international utility player Motu Tony, 29, has signed with UK Super League club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Samoan-born Tony has had spells with rugby union clubs Hull and Nottingham since, as well…

Tumult at Tanz

Tumult at Tanz

New Zealand-based choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and his troupe MAU continue their worldwide tour performing Tempest: Without a Body at Berlin’s Internationales Tanzfest on August 28-29. In an interview with English-language magazine ExBerliner, Samoan-born Ponifasio…

Current choreography

Current choreography

New Zealand-based theatre-artist and choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and his troupe MAU have taken Tempest: Without a Body to this year’s Venice contemporary dance festival. Guardian reviewer Judith Mackrell called the performance “an intensely crafted…

Phone Re-conversion

Phone Re-conversion

New Zealand MP and respected pillar of the Samoan community, Philip Field, retrieved a stolen car – by ringing the car phone and demanding the thieves return the vehicle.