Jolt in Rarotonga

Champion disability leadership. Support inclusive dance. 

Jolt is an inclusive dance company based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch that delivers high quality dance and teacher training for people with intellectual disabilities. Jolt’s unique approach to disability leadership has taken us across Aotearoa and to London, Glasgow and Seoul in South Korea.  

As part of our vision to share our unique practice, Jolt is planning a weeklong inclusive dance residency in Rarotonga, partnering with Nukutere College’s Inclusive Unit, Autism Cook Islands, the Creative Centre, and two primary schools. Jolt will share our approach to inclusive dance and disability leadership ending with a performance for local whānau and friends. The team will include five key leaders within Jolt all of whom have an intellectual disability.   

This project is in delivered in partnership with Nukutere College, Autism Cook Islands and The Creative Centre in Rarotonga. 

The Jolt Team 

The travelling group will be inclusive, including five Kaitiaki Whaikaha - people with lived experience of intellectual disability who are leaders, dancers and tutors within Jolt.  

• Jokani Coe (Cook Island/Samoan) - Jokani is the cultural representative within our Kaitiaki Whaikaha management team as well as a dancer and teacher at Jolt. Jokani is the lead dancer on this project and brings his experience of living with an intellectual disability and a strong connection to his cultural heritage as a Cook Islander.  
• Joel Forman (Ngāi Tahu) - Joel is a dancer and teacher at Jolt and his Kaitiaki Whaikaha focus is in Artistic and Cultural areas. He brings his strong Māori identity and his strength as a dancer: using movement and music over words to express himself to the project.  
• Jacob Levington (Pākehā) - Jacob brings his skills as a dancer and teacher at Jolt and his ability to connect with and inspire others to dance and express themselves. Jacob's management responsibility as Kaitiaki Whaikaha is Funding and Artistic and he will be focusing on teaching and capturing the experience to share with others.  
• Rochelle Waters (Pākehā) - Rochelle is a dancer and teacher at Jolt and is one of our most experienced disabled tutors. She currently teachers as part of our tutor training programme and will bring her experience and leadership skills in education and community engagement to this project.  
• Lachlan Oakes (Pākehā) - Lachlan is a dancer and teacher at Jolt. He brings his lived experience of Autism and his strong teaching skills to this project. Lachlan focuses on Representation and his skills in sharing Jolt's approach and connecting with others will be essential on this project.  
• Phebe Mander (Pākehā) - Phebe is a professionally trained dancer with extensive experience in teaching and choreography. Phebe is traveling as a dancer and support teacher.  
• Sholita Unutaua (Cook Island/Samoan) - Sholita is traveling as a support worker. Sholita is Cook Island and an expert in cultural dance. 
• Rachel Tully (Pākehā) - Rachel is General Manager at Jolt and a teacher on the Move Programme. Rachel brings skills in teaching but also will take the lead on logistics and health and safety.  
• Lyn Cotton (Pākehā) - Lyn is the Artistic Director of Jolt and has a personal connection to the Cook Islands, having been born there. Lyn will oversee the residency, coordinating logistics prior to arrival and providing follow up support. 

Your donation enables Jolt dancers with intellectual disabilities to share their expertise, build connections, and inspire communities in Rarotonga. 

We are fundraising for flights, accommodation, food and to pay our disabled artists. 

It is important we cover all the costs associated with this trip as there is no funding available in Rarotonga for this work.  

Across the week Jolt will run five workshops with the Inclusive Unit at Nukutere College/Autism Cook Islands culminating in a showing for the school and whānau. We will also deliver two workshops at the Creative Centre, and two workshops in local primary schools. Each workshop will be taught inclusively, led by our Kaitiaki Whaikaha leaders. Our primary school workshops will be delivered exclusively by Jolt disability leaders, giving children the opportunity to see people with disabilities in leadership roles.  

In 2025 Jolt met with each of these groups and was inspired by the work they were doing to grow the mana of disabled people. Jolt’s Kaupapa aligns with this vision. Conversations began about how we could work together to establish dance programmes for each group, upskill staff, and role-model disability leadership in action.  

Our aim is to be as visible as possible throughout the project—to show that when disabled leaders are given space, support, and recognition, entire communities benefit. 

Jokani Coe, Jolt dancer and Cook Island, will be taking a leadership role, performing his piece “There is a mountain inside my head” which explores his reconnection to his Cook Island heritage. Joe visited the Cook Islands with his whānau for the first time during creation of this work.  

Rarotonga has limited resources and people with disabilities can experience isolation and marginalisation. People with disabilities are underrepresented in leadership roles and lack opportunities for training and employment. This residency will offer new opportunities for participation, spaces for engagement between disabled and non disabled communities and demonstrate disability leadership.

Jolt will leave each group with a bespoke dance programme designed specifically for their community, shaped by the people we meet and their strengths. These programmes will provide teachers, support workers, and students with practical tools that make inclusive dance sustainable long after the residency ends. 

Work with the primary schools will help challenge children’s perceptions of disabled people by giving them the chance to learn directly from disability leaders. These workshops show young students that disabled adults can teach, lead, and inspire, shifting expectations from an early age. This project also creates opportunities for future collaboration between the project partners. 

By being highly visible in schools and community settings, our dancers demonstrate that disability is not a barrier to creativity, professionalism, or leadership. For Cook Islands families and educators, this opens up new possibilities for how disabled people can participate in and contribute to their communities. For Jolt leaders, it provides a powerful platform to share their expertise, grow their confidence, and deepen international relationships. 

Jolt will also benefit from a rich cultural exchange, learning directly from Cook Islands educators, artists, and communities. This experience will deepen our understanding of how inclusive dance can be shared across different cultural contexts. It will strengthen our ability to adapt, communicate, and grow our practice internationally. 

Our involvement doesn’t finish when we leave Rarotonga. After the residency, Jolt will continue to support each group remotely. This ongoing connection helps ensure that the impact of this project is felt long after we leave.