Dancing With Fire: Māngere teen triumphs at Siva Afi Festival

Photo: Sylvie Wongk

A local teenager has wowed audiences to take out one of the main categories at the annual Siva Afi Festival at the Māngere Arts Centre in March.

Emi Ilinganoa-Prichard, who first tried this Samoan fire dancing art after watching the 2020 event, says her initial motivation was to see if she could match her skills with the boys on stage.

“As I was watching the competition, I noticed that there were no girls competing. The director, Tauanu’u Amo Ieriko mentioned that if you want to learn Siva Afi, come and see him after - so I put my name down.

“But then straight after New Zealand went into lockdown. So I signed up to online classes with Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts and was blessed to be tutored online by Moemoana Schwenke [the former Miss Pacific Islands & Miss Samoa 23/24]."

Emi says she’s incredibly grateful to have found something that brings out her culture and is also a lot of fun.

“It feels really nice getting closer to my culture in a different way,” she says

And her success has also opened doors overseas. In May, she’s going to the World Fire Knife Competition in Hawai'i and in September she’s going to Brisbane, which could qualify her for another event in Tahiti.

Emi says if others are interested, they shouldn’t be put off by the knives or flames.

“I always say if guys can do it, girls can do it too, if not better."

Siva Afi Festival director Tauanu’u Amo Ieriko says all the participants should be proud of their performances as well as the local community for hosting another successful competition.

"As the ‘home of Siva Afi in Aotearoa’, Māngere should stand proud and loud of this massive achievement."

Go to sivaafiaotearoa.co.nz for information on the other winners.

Photo: Sylvie Wongk