Aloali'i Tapu's dance theatre work, Goodbye Naughton, ended week one of Pacific Dance Festival 2018 with rousing cheers from its audience.
He paid tribute to the friends and family who had helped him reach this point in his life, while his old friends Chris Taito and Uati Tui enriched a number of scenes.
Known locally as #SonofOtara, Tapu is much in demand as a dance artist, here and in Berlin, his second base. He is also valued here as an educator and mentor for local youth.
His dancing included an array of the astonishing virtuoso sequences of dense micro-movements, very much his signature style, a fusion of hip hop, cultural and contemporary dance. These sequences were intercut with stories and songs marking his life journey, each incident illustrated by representative movement.
The openness and honesty with which he shared the highs and lows of his life earned him the love and respect of the audience.
