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100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
The 100 Men Dance, the latest venture of the USP Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies (OCACPS)
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
100 Men Dancing! a hit with school students
The University of the South Pacific’s Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies (OCACPS) is promoting the preservation of culture through the fine arts, by giving more than 100 men from the Pacific the opportunity to exhibit their ability to contribute towards dance.
As part of the USP All-Male Dance show, the effort put in by the OCACPS illustrates the University’s dedication towards preserving traditional aspects of the Pacific culture through performance.
The show which spans two weeks, started on Monday, 15 July, 2013 with free showings for school children from around Fiji, at the USP Japan-Pacific ICT Centre.
Artistic Director at Oceania Dance Theatre, Mr Peter Rockford Espiritu, based at the OCACPS, said the theatre’s latest endeavour in the artistic realm, is a tremendous success.
“We hosted 350 students from as far as Tailevu and Pacific Harbor and included the students from the Hilton Special School and Gospel School of the Deaf for a free matinee performance on Wednesday,” he said.
“We also presented the Harland Hostel of the Gospel School for the Deaf with a $1,000 contribution in support of their ongoing needs as a gift from our dance programme, Oceania Dance Theatre, and USP,” he added.
Mr Espiritu, who has previously produced and directed theatrical productions such as the Vaka: Birth of a Seer and Drua: The Wave of Fire, said the event showcased “many spectacular performances ranging from solo singing, to aerial dancing performed by the Oceania Dance Group, to the Cunningham Trash Band, with all different stories and messages behind them”.
The University also hosted a gala night on Thursday, 18 July, 2013, which was attended by many dignitaries, including the American Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu, Ms Frankie Reed, French Embassy representative His Excellency Gilles Montanier, New Zealand Trade Commissioner Mr Peter Lund, and the Korean Ambassador to Fiji, Mr Hae-Wook Cheung.
Mr Espiritu thanked the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE), Dr Akanisi Kedrayate for her continuous support of OCACPS’ work, including its latest venture.
Preparations for the show started as early as January this year. The very first performance for the 100 men dancing was showcased during the 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress.
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