10 & 11 March 2023
7-10pm
Mangere Arts Centre - Nga Tohu o Uenuku
The Siva Afi Festival is a pioneering event that brings the talents and skills of wāhine and rangatahi to the fore.
The Siva Afi Festival is in its fourth year running and we’re excited to be welcoming international competitors to our all-female Siva Afi competition, as well as special guest performers and internationally renowned experts.
Meet Our Top Performers
Congratulations to all our performers and competitors in 2023. We are so grateful you chose to share your art and skills with us and we wish you all the best on your siva afi journey. For many of you, this is just the start and we look forward to seeing you perform in future years. To our performers from the U.S. Thank you, it was amazing having you as part of this year's festival.
Wāhine Toa Afi Competition 2023
Champion - Aaliyah Ava
Aaliyah Ava / Vaimatina
As a member of the world-renowned Triple Threat team, Aaliyah started siva afi from seven years old with her sisters, under the guidance of David Galea’i. Siva afi was passed down from her papa Pulefano Galea’i. She is an integral part of the Vaimatina Siva Afi troupe and works as a Polynesian and Siva Afi performer at the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Lā’ie, Hawai’i. Her motivation to enter the Wāhine Toa Afi competition was to represent her family and share her talents.
Mia Angelo
Mia was born in North Carolina and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She started learning and practicing Siva Afi a little over two years ago. Her journey in the community started with dancing Tahitian for Rocco Tinitali and their group Hula Fire Entertainment. After dancing Tahitian for a while, Mia was taught fire poi by Rocco’s wife, Tawsh. Instantly she fell in love with the art of fire. As soon as Mia lit up her knife for the first time she knew siva afi was going to be it for her. Mia is excited to be competing in beautiful Aotearoa.
Sierra Kawailele
Toa Afi Orlando Women’s Champion 2022 / Kalama Polynesian Dancers. Born and raised in Colorado, USA, Sierra is of Hawaiian/Norwegian descent and is 19 years old. She has been learning siva afi since January 2017. Although she was far away from her home island, dance and siva afi helped her stay connected to her roots. Sierra said growing up surrounded by Polynesian culture and dance was truly a blessing. She became interested in siva afi through learning Polynesian dance. Her goal with Siva Afi is to continue to spread love, culture, and passion as well as to stand beside her sisters as they represent the upcoming females in siva afi.
NZ Schools Siva Afi Competition 2023
Junior Champion - Emillie Elizabeth Lovett
Emillie Elizabeth Lovett
School: Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate
Age: 12 years
2021 Junior Champion. 2022 Top 3 Junior Competition. Born in Victoria, Australia, now living in South Auckland. Proudly representing the villages of Sala’ilua (Savaii), Iva & Vaigaga.
Jeremiah Gagamoe
School: Windley School
Age: 11 years
Tautua Dance. 6 months experience. Fasito’o Uta, Satalo Falealili, Lalovaea, Luatuanu’u, Faga Savai’i.
Moa Lua
School: Discovery School
Age: 12 years
Siumu, Samoa. Tautua Dance. 10 months experience.
NZ Schools Siva Afi Competition 2023
Senior Champion - Jayden Suni Aunese-White
Jayden Suni Aunese-White
School: St Paul’s College
Age: 14 years
2022 Senior Champion.
Island/Iwi/Village: Fusi Safata and Satufia Satupaitea. I have been doing Siva afi for over 4 years now, it helps me connect to my Samoan culture.
Kitiona Lua
School: Aotea College
Age: 15 years
Siumu, Samoa. Tautua Dance.
10 months experience.
Portia Meredith-Numia
School: Massey High School
Age: 16 years
Families of: Tielu, Taua, Leilua, Meredith and Pereira. Villages of: Togafuafua, Matautu, Siufaga, Siumu, Moataa. Started Siva Afi in November 2020 with Valentino Luafaleolo & Tauanuu Amo Ieriko.
Festival Replay
The festival was livestreamed on both nights thanks to Pasifika TV. Enjoy the replay here for a limited time.
Our feed will also go out live on Pasifika TV which all the broadcasters in the Islands can also pick up for live or recorded broadcasts.
The faces of the festival
Festival Gallery
Festival Programme
US Siva Afi performers visited Aotearoa for the Festival
With thanks to the support of the US Embassy here in Aotearoa, Siva Afi Aotearoa welcomed a group of renowned performers from across the United States to Auckland for 10 days of events and performances. This much anticipated visit had the aim of strengthening ties and raising awareness of Siva Afi Ailao (fire knife dancing) here in New Zealand.
Following the Siva Afi Festival, our American guests performed as part of a VIP event at ASB Polyfest, visited schools and took part in various workshops in the lead up to their performance at the Samoa Village Stage at the Pasifika Festival on Saturday 18th March at Western Springs.
Amongst the performers from the US were David Galea’i, Valmatina Triple Threat, Jeralee Galea’I – World Fireknife Champion, Women’s Division and Tipaula Family Dance Group, each respected members of the Samoan community in the US.
