Get Your Tickets Here 
Whakapapa, by Jolt Dance, shares the stories of six dancers with intellectual disabilities, exploring identity, culture, and ancestral connection through dance, text, and film.
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.
Whakapapa takes place at Papa Hou’s Black Box theatre on Sunday 25th January at 6.30pm. You can get your tickets here.