Workshops celebrate cultural diversity

IN TIME: Pirinoa School students Lucy Didsbury (left), Aria Whiteman and Olivia Telford. PHOTOS/ANDREW BONALLACKWTA200614ABPACIFIC13

Wairarapa Secondary Schools Pasifika Week wrapped up at Kuranui College yesterday with a series of workshops involving schools from throughout the region.

Kuranui College dance teacher Sharyne Lewis, who also is Pasifika Week artistic director and co-ordinator, said students from Carterton and Pirinoa schools and from Makoura College had attended workshops at the Greytown college that highlighted Pasifika culture and celebrated cultural diversity at Wairarapa schools.

Featherston School was also involved, carrying out a workshop in their own classes.

"Pasifika Week went really well and was very successful, and the students were really supportive and responded hugely," Ms Lewis said.

The series of workshops held during the event was partnered by Polynesian Entertainers Ltd and covered Samoan drumming, Sasa, fire dancing and Siva, and Tahitian dance.

Hawaiian tutor and archeologist Kumu Hula Aulii Mitchell, from Hawaii, taught Hawaiian dance, lei-making, bamboo printing and also led discussion on Hawaiian archaeology.

Ms Lewis last year started Pasifika Week at Kuranui College, which had piloted the programme, and this year the event was thrown open to other schools as well.

She said Pasifika Week's primary focus was on performing arts but students also had covered subjects ranging from sciences and food technology to art and social sciences.

She said highlights included a performance evening at Kuranui College on Thursday night that featured a performance titled Spiritus Aitu from the Ura Tabu Pacific Dance company, a drum and Sasa performance from the Kuranui College Year 9 dance class titled Wild Youth, a traditional chant, Reo Tupuna, by Henry Taripo-Henzart and a drum dance titled Ura Pau that was choreographed by Tepaeru-Ariki French.

A Year 9 Student Social Team and Year 9 Art students had furnished interior decorations for the evening performance.

Ms Lewis said a Kuranui College kapa haka group had completed a debut performance for Pasifika Week.