25 to Watch recipient discovers his 'X-factor' through dance and his 'superpower' in culture

Xavier: "I started to lose a bit of my Samoan-ness and kind of downplayed my culture.”

Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Xavier is a proud Aotearoa-bred Samoan who embraces cultural hybridity in all forms. Whether that’s being both a South and West Aucklander, a creative artist and policy professional, or Samoan and Kiwi, Xavier’s intersectionality is rich and layered.  

In the first few years of his life, Xavier grew up in South Auckland with his grandparents, his mum and her sister and brothers. As the baby of the family at the time, he was raised by his cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents, “I was surrounded by the fa’a Sāmoa”, he reflects. The fa’a Sāmoa being ‘the Samoan way'.

Going to school was an affront to this secure sense of cultural identity. “I started to lose a bit of my Samoan-ness and kind of downplayed my culture," Xavier says.  

But over time, Xavier began to see culture as a superpower. He recalls, “I started to feel more confident and felt this deep sense of gratitude that I am the product of an amazing lineage of matriarchs and chiefs and beautiful people that have sacrificed a lot for me to be here."

It was along this journey of reactivating cultural pride that Xavier started channelling fresh energy into an art form he had long been passionate about: dance.  

Though he would eventually go on to pursue dance professionally, Xavier never saw himself as a dancer. “For indigenous Pacific people, dancing is just a normal way of being and doing. Whether it’s church, a village setting, having to dance in front of your family, it’s an organic process, a habitual way of living." 

Xavier: "For indigenous Pacific people, dancing is just a normal way of being and doing."

In the depths of South Auckland and Onehunga, Xavier and his older cousin, Jacob, would copy Bollywood and Hip-Hop music videos, and dance to the rhythmic sounds of their cousin Abigail playing a guitar with several missing strings.  

Or they would cycle through what they termed the “vending machine for dancing” — performing sometimes unsolicited genre-bending dance medleys for the whole ‘āiga or family.   

Though he was already getting involved in dance projects, a key turning point for Xavier came in high school, when he was introduced to Black Grace — a Pacific contemporary dance company showcasing the storytelling traditions of the South Pacific.  

He saw another side of dance, beyond ballet and pointed toes. “I saw Black Grace, and people that looked like me, and the way they moved was so technical in a different way — it was athletic," he says.  

When Xavier figured out how traditional concepts could converge with contemporary forms, “That’s where it really started”, he says.  

So instead of going down the politics/law route, which he always leaned towards, Xavier decided to pursue dance. And as he says, The arts are political”.  

It was through studying dance at university that Xavier first got involved in the Asia space.

In his second year of study, he embarked on a Prime Minister’s scholarship to do a semester of dance study at Hanyang University in South Korea.  

Interestingly, Korea was where his process of identity construction faced its biggest hurdle yet. If people struggled to know about New Zealand, then they really didn’t understand Sāmoa. And what a ‘New Zealander’ looked like was especially unfamiliar.  

He questioned, “Who do I carry with me when I come to Korea and how to I define and explain where I come from to people who don’t know where I come from?”  

Coming back to Aotearoa to complete his degree, Xavier never forgot the incredible experiences and personal growth he had from his time in Asia.  

His study abroad was a key motivator for the creation of Manu — a dance collective focused on showcasing Māori and Pasifika contemporary dance forms, culture and artists to the world.  

As Xavier says, “Manu means bird in many of the Polynesian languages — based on the concept of a frigate bird our ancestors followed to find the islands. So I thought, maybe we’re the Manu that can lead our Māori and Pacific dance artists overseas to showcase our cultures to the world."  

Over the two years that Manu operated, Xavier helped take dancers to Macau and Hawai’i.

The art was always underpinned by indigenous Pacific and Māori morals such as family, collectivity, love, and respect. “It’s all about paying it forward," he says. 

Alongside working on Manu, Xavier was also completing his master’s degree in dance studies at the University of Auckland. It was during this period he was named one of the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s 25 to Watch.  

For Xavier, receiving the award was a huge honour. In his words, “It just felt like a beautiful moment of reciprocation — like a thank you from the world. There’s never an expectation to get something back when doing the work, it’s our way to Tautua/serve and pay it forward. But it is nice to be thanked for the good we try and do."

The award was always bigger than him alone. “I won it, but I also won it for my family. And all the people I’ve taken on the journey with me creatively, professionally, personally, because they’ve all been part of the success," he reflects.  

Shortly after the 25 to Watch, Xavier’s life was rocked by the outbreak of the pandemic. He had left university, was burnt out, and finished a job, and leadership in that job, which did not align with his purpose and values. 

His journey of healing during this time came through teaching dance to high school students. He tutored for NCEA assessments and taught contemporary dance and Pacific dance, for intermediate schools too. The experience, “Gave me breathing space to find out what I truly wanted to do moving forward," he says. 

After this, he worked a series of jobs in the tertiary and public sector, each job bringing him closer to figuring out where he belongs.  Over these past five years, Xavier has made manifest his ultimate goal: to find himself comfortable as both an artist and also whatever else he wants to be.  

“I realised I wanted to also give back to the community and transfer what I’ve learned to the next generation. So I’ve now got this hybrid work structure," he says.  

Xavier now works in international development, community development, and youth development as a contractor — maintaining autonomy over his time and life. In his words, “I have the opportunity to serve in different capacities”. 

He adds, “And now dance is my X factor. I go into rooms now that I have experience in policy, strategy, and education and go ‘oh I come at it from a dance perspective’. It comes from a different standpoint."  

Xavier describes culture as his "superpower" and dance as his "X-factor"

Dance continues to be an inseparable part of the story of Xavier.

A recent highlight of his career was a project engaging Pacific and Māori youth to serve Pacific older people. The program is built around physicality, dance, the arts — fun exercises that test cognitive skills for the Pacific older community.  

Another highlight for Xavier over the past 5 years has been his continued engagement with the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Leadership Network. Being a member for almost 10 years now, he speaks of the profound relationship building he has been able to forge — “It’s like a cheat code," he says.  

Over the years of experiences, Xavier’s major standout is his work co-creating the 2023 Tāngata Moana Hui — a hugely popular weekend of learning focusing on sharing Pacific knowledge and stories with the wider community.  

“As Tāngata Moana, we’re all about service and paying it forward, so we were trying to find ways to aid in the development of our fellow Leadership Network members, to pay it forward and back."

When asked to consider what may come next in his story, he mentions, “I would love to revisit some of the work I did in bringing people overseas around touring — giving people those experiences of Asia, particularly Māori and Pacific peoples."

He was able to do this recently for emerging and mid-career NZ-Pasifika artists by touring them to Los Angeles in early August. This focussed on expanding markets, building invaluable networks, and collaborating on showcase events with the NZ’s Los Angeles Post, and with the Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK) and Warner Music Group. 

But for Xavier, before all else, continuing his service to Pacific people, and young people, will always be paramount.

“I want to continue supporting individuals and organisations who have a vision and purpose to serve — to make Aotearoa and the world a better place."

The Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network equips the next generation of Kiwi leaders to thrive in Asia. We provide members with the connections, knowledge and confidence to lead New Zealand’s future relationship with the region.

• Find out more about the Foundation's 25 to Watch recipients