Pacific Blog

Dancing for JLO

I'm a dancer from New Zealand who has been selected to back up dance for Jennifer Lopez in Las Vegas.

I come from a small town Tokoroa and always dreamt of being a dancer. A passion of mine that started from a very young age and has now become a reality.....

Being from Tokoroa, i was limited to achieving this dream. I had to commute to and from Hamilton and Auckland 3-4x a week for classes and rehearsals as well as maintaining a full time job.

It was physically, mentally and financially challenging but i knew i had to make it work.

In 2012 i auditioned for Parris Goebels The Royal Family. A choreographer and company i knew i had to be apart of to grow as a dancer and achieve my dream.

I was successful and have been apart of the company ever since.

The move to Auckland was the biggest sacrifice i had to make. I always saw Tokoroa as my home. I was comfortable, i had my family and didn't no the outside world.…more


Entertainment

Justin Bieber ft. Request Dance Crew - Sorry

Director: Parris Goebel
Producer: Parris Goebel
Animator: John Hwang 
Production Company: Taktix Films


Events

Tongan Creatives sing Faka'anaua in thanks to Fatai

Tongan Creatives sing Faka'anaua in thanks to Fatai during Fatai LoungeJam2015. Tongan Creative Lavinia Uhila won a lounge jam with Fatai during her lounge jam tour of New Zealand. This was their thank you song at the end of the night - Faka'anaua.

Check out more from The Tongan Creatives on The Coconet TV

Watch Fatai jamming on her 'Lounge Room Tour'


Coco News

Tanna - Trailer

In one of the last traditional tribes in the South Pacific, a young girl, Wawa, falls in love with her chief’s grandson, Dain. When an inter-tribal war escalates, Wawa is unknowingly betrothed as part of a peace deal.

The young lovers run away, but are pursued by enemy warriors intent on killing them. They must choose between their hearts and the future of the tribe, while the villagers must wrestle with preserving their traditional culture and adapting it to the increasing outside demands for individual freedom.

Based on a true story and performed by the people of Yakel.

The film from directors Martin Butler and Bentley Dean is the first to score an Oscar nomination for Australia, which has submitted 10 titles since 1996.

The movie also is the first feature from the directors and the first shot in the nation of Vanuatu. It stars non-actors who had never even watched a film, and it was shot with no electricity — everything was solar-powered, including the editing bay.…more


Pacific Blog

Welcome to Samoa, An Actual Country

I remember it well, spending three hours at Gatwick Airport in the UK, while the Customs agents tried to locate one of their people who knows what a Samoan passport looks like, to verify the existence of my country. They found an agent finally, who came over, took my passport and declared: "Sorry, this is not Somalian."

The feelings I had at that point ranged from a deep anger to a sense of amusing dismay at the fact that my beloved island Paradise of Samoa in the middle of the South Pacific, was mistaken for a war torn country in Africa.…more


Entertainment

Dark Horse wins in France

The St Tropez-based Festival des Antipodes ends today (NZ time), having handed out its awards over the weekend.

A pair of older titles took awards for New Zealand. The Dark Horse won the festival’s Grand Prix, while Whirimako Black won Best Actress for her role in White Lies. The jury (pictured below) was led by Bryan Brown.

Robert Connolly’s Australian Paper Planes, recently on release here, took the Audience and Best Actor (Ed Oxenbould) awards.

Eight NZ titles played in and out of competition at the festival.

Festival des Antipodes award winners were:

Grand Prix
The Dark Horse, James Napier Robertson

Best Actress
Whirimako Black, White Lies

Best Actor
Ed Oxenbould, Paper Planes

Audience Award
Paper Planes, Robert Connolly

Prix Nicolas Baudin Short Film Award
All God’s Creatures, Brendon McDonall

Screenz


Entertainment

The Oneill Twins - Make You Ill

Make You ILL - is our first ever Lyric Music Video.
This is the Track that has Debuted our NEW career in becoming Artists. Enjoy smile emoticon

Directed & Edited by: Cortney Stowers 
Produced by: Vince Harder 
Makeup & Hair by: Deelicious Makeup 
Styled by: Mitchell Vincent
Dancers: Nathan Kara, Carlos Skipper, Johnny Puleanga

Special Thanks to:
Stan Walker
HMG
Abby-Lee Harder
Vince Harder

Would love to thank our team for being dedicated and passionate! 
Was a pleasure to have you all on set for Make You ILL and we cannot wait for the next journey with you all. Exciting times! smile emoticon 

Much love from The Oneill Twins.xxx


Coco News

12 Reasons why Hawaiian people are the best kind of people!

The Hawaiian Islands are truly amazing – full of natural beauty, culture, the Aloha spirit, and incredible people. Here are twelve reasons why individuals from Hawaii are the best people you will probably ever meet.

1) The Aloha spirit is strong, which means that people from Hawaii are always willing to offer friendship and assistance when needed.

2) According to a national well-being survey, Hawaii is the least stressed state in the states - naturally, everyone has a little more patience and empathy.

3) Hawaii is also one of the happiest places to live in America, coming in at the second happiest state, just behind Alaska, according to a Gallup survey.
3) Hawaii is also one of the happiest places to live in America, coming in at the second happiest state, just behind Alaska, according to a Gallup survey.

4) Everyone will welcome you graciously into their “ohana.”

5) People from Hawaii are laid-back and would gladly spend their days lounging on the beach with you if they could.
6) But they also know how to show you a good time out on the town, and can be extremely fun. 
6) But they also know how to show you a good time out on the town, and can be extremely fun.

7) They will also be able to teach you about all the best “secret” spots.…more

Entertainment

Celebrities rocking the All Blacks Jersey!

Check out these celebrities you may not have known were such huge All Blacks fans...

1. One thing this lady aint 'shakin off' is her AB jersey!

Taylor Swift

2. I mean, nobody's perfect... Ok, well you are now.

Jason Momoa

3. All Blacks? Fo shizzle ma nizzle

Snoop Lion

4. This guys headed in the right direction

Niall Horan

5. Can you smelllllllllllllll what The Rock is wearing? 

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

6. Another keen expression of 'Thinking out loud' and proud!

Ed Sheeran

7. The jersey is even fit for royalty! Just dont wear it to one of your wild Parties Princey

Prince Harry

8. Oh lucky we did this shirt in a size XXXLong

Steven Adams

9. Fine. You can be an All Black then!

Jarryd Hayne

10. Doesnt get more thuggish than this!

Bone Thugs n Harmony

11. Lorde, always wears All Black.... Close enough sis

Lorde

12. Keeping himself warm with the right jersey in this 'Cole-World'

J Cole

13. In that jersey, we will let you entertain us anytime!

Robbie Williams

14.…more


Coco News

Just a normal girl with normal girl issues

Early this year I was looking for an actress to play Shalimar Seiuli — the young American Samoan fa’afafine who was infamously pulled over in a car with Eddie Murphy early one morning in Los Angeles, in 1997.

A year later she was dead — and it was this that led me to write a play called Girl on a Corner, where Shalimar got to tell her version of events.

I knew the actress playing Shalimar had to be transgender. I knew she had to be good enough to carry an entire play on her shoulders. And I knew she had to have the guts to swear like a trooper in Samoan and yet be vulnerable enough to let the audience share Shalimar’s joy — and, more importantly, her pain.

In the end, I picked Amanaki Prescott-Faletau, a Tongan graduate of the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA) in Auckland. She is what Tongans call fakaleiti or fakafefine, and Samoans fa’afafine. Meaning, like a lady — like a woman.

Casting her was a leap of faith.…more