Call to Wallis - a love letter to those who feel the call back home
Coinciding with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoa Language Week, the Pacific Dance Festival 2026 is now officially underway following the opening night of Justin Haiu’s Call to Wallis. The festival highlights creatives and writers from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, providing a platform to showcase the talent and stories of the people at the heart of Māngere.
This semi-autobiographical, multigenerational piece follows a young man from Wallis Island (Uvea), located between Fiji and Samoa, who moves to Aotearoa New Zealand, puts down roots, and starts a family. Years later, his son becomes eager to learn more about his father’s homeland and how it contributes to his own identity.
This production transcends being just a dance show. Incorporating moments of narration by Haiu himself, which add a personal touch, alongside scenes of dialogue that provide narrative context and act as a pacing breath of reset from the dance sequences, as well as live drumming and singing, the show highlights the immense talent of the entire cast. Demonstrating exceptional skill in dance, acting (complete with impeccable comedic timing), and singing, they are the very definition of triple threats.
Dance may be the focus of this festival, but Call to Wallis is much more than simply a dance performance. That said, the dance itself is where the production truly shines. It interweaves elements of Pacific movement, capturing the distinctive feel of island cultural dance through a balance of strength and softness, alongside sensual contemporary choreography set to beautiful French music and high-energy hip hop that has audiences tapping their feet and nodding along.
Beyond the dance, the myriad elements are woven together seamlessly to create an engaging and emotional production. The show captures a familiar experience for many people born and raised in Aotearoa who feel drawn to the cultures of the islands as a way of better understanding who they are, to finally resolve the lifelong identity crisis that can arise from feeling disconnected from part of one's heritage.
As an afakasi, the story resonated deeply with my own desire to learn Gagana Samoa after being raised speaking English, as well as my yearning to visit the island that makes up half of my heritage and connect with those who carry my family name. Yet there is that inevitable fear of being made fun of or not feeling like enough. The show highlights the importance of pushing past that and the beauty of acceptance and connection.
The show is presented entirely in a black-box style, with no sets or props. This allows the lighting, costumes, music, and especially the performances to shine. The performers frequently use their bodies to become inanimate objects, while mime is employed to convey important aspects of the story. The production requires no embellishment to evoke emotion, provide context, or maintain engagement. It is a testament to how effective simple storytelling can be when executed with thought and care.
Call to Wallis feels like a love letter to those who feel the call back home, regardless of whether they were born there or not. But especially to New Zealand-born Pacific Islanders who feel an innate desire to learn more about their heritage and the culture that forms part of their identity, yet remains difficult to fully access while living in Aotearoa. There was an expectation that the production would delve a little deeper into that struggle, the complexity and identity crisis that can come from not knowing, or not feeling part of, half of yourself. Even so, Call to Wallis offers audiences an opportunity to understand the universal desire to find one's place within one's own identity.
It is a gem of a production that exceeds expectations and deserves every opportunity to grow and reach wider audiences.
Check out information about the festival here.
