Memories of childhood home focus of new work for Samoan choreographer

Award-winning choreographer Tupua Tigafua's latest work is a 'love letter' to state housing.

The dance performance 14 Malone Road headlines the Measina Festival 2023 in Porirua, New Zealand.

Tigafua has said that the piece is a love letter to all the adults who know what it was like to grow up in state houses in the 90s.

"Those wooden fences that we thought were flash, we later realised they were to separate us," he said.

Tigafua stressed that the work is not about gentrification. Rather, it's about his memories.

"I think you are your childhood address because when you meet people ... they say ... I represent …. and for me, mine is 14 Malone Road, that's the address I grew up in."

The work brings together an all-male cast of Pacific creative artists such as AndyTilo-Faiaoga, Aloali'i Tapu, Aisea Latu, Onetoto Ikavuka and Villa Junior Lemanu.

Tigafua said the cast have had seven years of experience in the art world, either as actors, singers, or dancers.

One of the performers, Villa Junior Lemanu said he felt a real connection to the work, as he grew up in a state house.

"We understand the world of that, you know there's a lot of beautiful images in this work..I'm talking about things like cockroaches in the space and growing up with that..uncles that are always singing in the garage..there's a lot of things that we can relate to"

Onetoto Ikavuka is a Tongan creative artist and this is the first time he's taken part in the festival.

He said he's grateful to be part of it, and to be able to dance with such a talented cast of Pacific men.

"A lot of the time when you see men come into this platform you know you see a different side to masculinity and it's amazing to see grown men dancing, looking graceful and still looking masculine at the same time."

The annual Measina Festival was established in 2014 by Wellington-based company Le Moana Arts, led by Tupe Lualua, and is seen as a springboard for Pacific artists.