Samoan choreographer Tupe Lualua

Choreographer Tupe Lualua is working with young Samoan men - aumaga - to create a dance work that will shine a light on their invaluable contribution to traditional village society. Tupe is Creative New Zealand's current Samoa Artist in Residence and is briefly home before returning to Samoa to complete the work. She has often travelled to Samoa with her dance company Le Moana in the past, working with communities and local schools. You can see some of their work here. This time her dancers are local students and the aumaga themselves. Lynn Freeman asked Tupe why she feels men's roles in village life has been overlooked. If Tupe Lualua's funding application comes through, she plans to bring some of her dancers here to Aotearoa after the work premieres in Samoa in November.