Tau - Peter Rockford Espiritu | 2022 Native Launchpad Artist

ARTIST WEBSITE

Tribal Affiliation: Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)

Artistic Discipline: Dance

Location: Aiea, HI

Tau — Peter Rockford Espirituau is the Executive and Artistic Director of Tau Dance Theater, the only professional dance company founded by a Native Hawaiian based in Honolulu. Established in 1996, TDT is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable arts organization. The work maintains cultural identity in the face of globalization and urbanization, producing a movement-based viewpoint of Pacific Island and Oceanic culture, highlighting native pluralism.

Tau is a lifetime hula practitioner and progeny of the Ka’imikaua, Puku’i/Luahine/Hoakalei (‘olapa) and Holokai (‘auana) lines, with ‘ūniki papa kaula for oli (chant) with kumu (master), Dr. Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele.  Tau’s western form training includes: The School of American Ballet in New York City; modern dance with Betty Jones — founding member of the José Limón Company; scholarships to the American Dance Festival (Duke University); and Colorado Dance Festival in Boulder, with foundational roots from Danceworks’ (Honolulu) Simeon Den & Marie Takazawa, and Honolulu Dance Centre’s Nolan Dingman (ballet).

Tau has served in Artistic Director roles for ECHO (Education for Cultural and Historical Organizations) and for at the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture & Pacific Studies at the University of South Pacific in Fiji.

Tau co-choreographed the Starlit Hui Show at the Disney Aulani Resort, and has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Irvine Foundation, and Dance America. He has served for almost a decade as a Commissioner for Culture & The Arts for the City & County of Honolulu, spanning four administrations.

Tau has spent over 30 years directing, choreographing, and teaching globally as a master teacher, with a recent focus on dramaturgy for the premiere to the world tour of MINOWÍN in Canada for Vancouver-based Indigenous company, Dancers of Damelahamid.

Tau is a 2022 NEA Challenge America Grant recipient, supporting the development of a vocabulary system for Indigenous-based movement on multiple technology platforms, and an Intercultural Indigenous Choreographers Creation Lab awardee.