Performing Arts

Led by the highly acclaimed Pacific composer at the Oceania Centre, conductor/educator Igelese Ete, the Performing Arts at the Oceania Centre aims to create inspiring, innovative, and inter-disciplinary world class productions informed by Oceanian art forms and traditions but open to global influences.

Two units make up the Performing Arts:

1. The Oceania Dance Theatre (ODT): led by Peter Espiritu, formerly the artistic director of the Tau Dance Theatre in Honolulu, Hawai`i, the ODT employs about 10 full-time dancers.
2. The Pasifika Voices Ensemble (PVE): Now in its first year under the auspices of OCACPS, PVE includes the Suva Community Gospel Choir.

The Oceania Centre is also developing a drama component that aims to be fully established by the beginning of 2012. At present, the Director of the Oceania Centre, Professor Vilsoni Hereniko, is now in charge, and has launched this unit with his production of Fine Dancing, a play set in Honolulu, Hawai`i, and dealing with issues of domestic violence, the impact of fundamentalist Christianity on Pacific identities, and spiritual healing and forgiveness.

Dance, music and drama will interact and collaborate with the visual arts to create original performances and productions.

Pacific Performing Arts at the OCACPS is fortunate to have four leading Pacific artists collaborating: Igelese Ete, Peter Espiritu, Vilsoni Hereniko, and Allan Alo (coordinator for Polynesia, based at the Alafua Campus, Samoa.)