Pele - Goddess of Fire

Pele- Goddess of Fire, is a Hawaiian dance theatre production that is programmed to be in the Pacific Dance New Zealand Festival on 19 – 20 June at the Mangere Arts Centre.  It will be the first Hawaiian hula production to be programmed in the festival.  We are raising funds to help with the production costs.

Aruna Kekeha Po-Ching - Artistic Director, Producer and Co-Choreographer 
I began my creative career in 1990 and my experiences branched into film, television, theatre, musicals, and freelance singing in both Auckland and Australia, becoming a professional Polynesian dancer in 1998 forming her dance company Pasifika Sway performing in Bodies, Biennale, Pacific Wave.  In 2010, I founded Hālau Ka Waikahe Lani Mālie (Peaceful Heavenly Flowing Waters School), the first officially sanctioned hula school in Aotearoa’s history. The hālau hula promotes Hawaiian hula through classes, cultural exchange programmes, and stage performances at events including Tempo Dance Festival, Short and Sweet, and Pacific Arts Festival. 

I graduated in 2017 with Diploma in Documentary Directing and Research and in 2020 with Grad. Diploma in Screenwriting. Currently, I am creating a feature film documentary and developing two drama features and a pilot TV series.

Blaine Kamalani Kia – Cultural Consultant, Script Supervisor, Choreographer
Blaine established his first halau in 1987. A veteran among the finest Hula Competitions worldwide including the Merrie Monarch, King Kamehameha Festival, Ia ‘Oe E Ka La Festival, Mokihana Festival, and have won several awards.

Awarded the NEA Human and Civil Rights Award in 2013, Blaine continually travels performing, entertaining, educating, and perpetuating the hula around the World. Blaine is the cultural advisor for the Outrigger Hotels, Honolulu, former cultural advisor for the TV series Hawaii Five-O and is the resident entertainer at the Waikiki Boardwalk.

Dr. Opeloge Ah Sam – Musical Director
I love Music as a career, an escape and as a means to help those looking for some inspiration or positivity in their lives. Music has given me much in life, and I want to share the same opportunities with people who have a real passion for music and for helping others through music. I am a Music Educator, Music Director, Musician, and Conductor.

Chantelle Gerard – Costume Designer
With over 20 years of industry experience, Chantelle specialises in the design, supervision, and fabrication of costumes for film, theatre, and bespoke commissions. She has served as Head of Wardrobe for Pop-Up Globe, designing costumes from 2016 until its closure in 2019. Additionally, she has worked on large-scale theatre productions, including NZ Opera and her film credits include Underworld and Game of Thrones.

Laisa Pickering – Set Designer
I am a 44-year old wife and mother living in the Waitakere area. Originally from the northern part of Fiji, I migrated to New Zealand in 2001 and have lived in Auckland since then. I work as an Electrical Trainer training apprentice and experienced Distribution Line Mechanics around the country. We fix and maintain powerlines, poles and cables that you get your electricity from everyday.

As a haumana (student) I have found that I have been able to use some of my transferable skills from my beloved Fiji and from my work in building props and sets for our stage performances and in printing our costumes using Fijian masi printing techniques.

Like all theatre productions it comes with a huge cost.  To have an amazing and extremely talented team that can support this project. In our debut, we had very little funding therefore we the dancers/students also had to put on multiple hats to present this work.  Frankly, it was challenging, stressful and exhausting! With a creative team, they can look after their own department which will allow the dancers to focus on just the dancing!

Even though we are asking for $6,000 (minimum) we are hoping we raise more. The costuming costs alone are huge.  For example, for one pā’u (skirt) 4.5 metres are needed.  The majority of the dancers will be wearing 3 costumes each. 

What are these costs to run a dance theatre production?

·        Creative team fees

·        Materials for set building and costuming

·        Filming and editing of the show

·        Venue hire for rehearsal spaces

·        Equipment hire

·        Refreshments for those long days of weekend rehearsals and in the theatre.

Every cent helps and we thank you in advance for your support!

Pele – Goddess of Fire was first debuted at Te Pou Theatre in December 2023. Performed by the haumana (students) of Hālau Ka Waikahe Lani Mālie, this production told the tale of Pele (also known as the Goddess of Volcanoes), a revered deity in Hawaiian mythology who is danced about by all hula practitioners around the globe.

Hawaiian hula is still relatively new in Tāmaki Makaurau and what better way to share hula with our audiences but through a narrative lens. As an artist and a po’o kumu hula my mission is to perpetuate hula, showing its beauty through the chants and songs and giving our participants a wholistic approach to this beautiful culture.

We are excited to have the opportunity to re-develop and re-present this work with a new and amazing creative team.  We will be opening our hālau hula doors and holding auditions to allow other cultural dance practitioners to be a part of this amazing project.

Hawaiian hula presented at the PDNZ Festival allows hula to be seen on a larger platform.  This fits in with Aruna’s strategic plan to showcase, share, perpetuate and educate the beauty of Hawaiian hula.  This will be the first of its kind in the history of the PDNZ Festival.

The mana and integrity of the hula will be felt not only in the cast and crew themselves but also in our audiences as well. A northland kaumatua was moved to speak after our debut performance, “Kapa haka and hula are not only forms of entertainment, but direct links to our ancestors and our history, thus carries a sacred aspect to it. We need to see more stories like these”.  And we agree!

As the reviewer had said of our 2023 show, “The way the performers intertwine with theatre, dance, chants and each other – shows that Hawaiian creativity and aesthetic is needed more in Aotearoa’s creative arts. Overall, such a great family show for all ages to watch and understand the story of Pele. Ngā mihi nui to the artistic director, producer, music director Aruna Kekeha Po-Ching and script consultant and music manager Blaine Kamalani. Kia ora for allowing an intimate but powerful show at Te Pou theatre”.

We appreciate your support to allow more audiences witness the beauty dance and tale of Pele – Goddess of Fire over two nights at Mangere Arts Centre. 

What is even more wonderful is that you too can learn hula. It is for all ages from young children to seniors.