Dance delivers message

SAMOA – Samoan and New Zealand choreographer, Lemi Ponifasio, has been chosen by UNESCO to write and deliver the official message for this year’s International Dance Day.

International Dance Day is aimed at attracting attention to the art of dance, and the official message is sent to over 100,000 dance professionals around the world, and translated into dozens of languages.

Lemi Ponifasio, who founded the MAU company, and who is also a stage director, dancer and artist, said he wrote the message in the form of a karakia, or prayer.

“Being from this part of the world, it was important to me that our cutural perspective or the sense of the spirit of this place comes through in that message”, he said.

“You know dance is many, many things to the world.”

Lemi Ponifasio said he wrote his message with the perspective that no one has the final say on what dance is.

He will deliver the message at La Villette Theatre in Paris on April 29, where his company MAU will also perform.

- RNZI