Whakapapa | Jolt Dance

Name: Whakapapa | Jolt Dance
Start: 2026-05-01T09:00:00+12:00
Location: Dart House, Building 11, 12 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton

Schedule

Fri, 01 May, 2026 at 09:00 am

UTC+12:00

Location

Dart House, Building 11, 12 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton | Queenstown, OT

Whakapapa, by Jolt Dance, shares the stories of six dancers with intellectual disabilities, exploring identity, culture, and ancestral connection through dance, text, and film. Doors open 6:30pm for a 7pm show start.
Co-created by the dancers, each piece offers a deeply personal perspective: Joel Forman (Ngāi Tahu) reclaims his whakapapa, weaving together his Māori and Pākehā whānau and reconnecting to the whenua of Moeraki; Jokani Coe (Cook Islands/Samoa) honours the mountains of Rarotonga and the strength his culture gives him; Robert Sopoaga (Samoa) brings the vitality of Siva — the dance of life and community; Jono Bennett (Fijian Indian) evokes memories of his mother through the image of a beautiful old tree; Jacob Levington (Pākehā) reflects on his connection to each member of his close family; and Lachlan Oakes (Pākehā) reflects on his connection to whakapapa through his experience of autism.
Together, these stories celebrate individuality and move beyond labels of disability, offering a powerful vision of belonging and cultural pride.
Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start time.
Tickets: $25 adult / $15 student