Moana Movement: Moving with Culture, Leading with Heart
In the heart of Te Awa Kairangi, a vibrant rhythm pulses through the community—one that connects generations, celebrates identity, and strengthens wellbeing. Inano Dance, a Cook Islands dance collective, is leading this movement—not just through choreography, but by shifting mindsets, spaces, and systems.
Culture as Catalyst for Movement
Inano Dance’s journey toward becoming a systems leader began through the Healthy Organisations Pilot, an initiative led by Healthy Families Hutt Valley. This pilot created a platform for community-led groups to rethink their role in wellbeing—not as service providers, but as systems influencers. Through this process, Inano Dance identified that their cultural practice was far more than performance or entertainment—it was a powerful wellbeing intervention. Together, we surfaced insights that helped position Cook Islands dance not just as community activity, but recognised as physical activity.
Healthy Organisations Funding Event
“Through the pilot, we realised we were already doing health promotion—our way, through culture. Healthy Families helped us see the bigger system we’re part of, and the power we have to shift it.”
— Te Hau Winitana, Founder, Inano Dance
Inano Dance emerged as a cultural anchor for Cook Island communities in the Hutt Valley. Their work is a living example of how cultural identity can be a protective factor against preventable chronic diseases—shifting the narrative from illness to wellness through joy, movement, and connection.
““We are no longer in the survival state but looking at our progress with purpose.” ”
Activating Community Spaces with Urahiit
With logistical and organisational support from Healthy Families Hutt Valley, Inano Dance took their movement outdoors. Over the summer, Inano Dance brought the energy of Urahiit—a high-energy fusion of traditional Cook Islands dance and fitness—to Dowse Square. These open-air sessions transformed a civic space into a cultural gym where community, movement, and belonging collided.
These weren’t one-off events. They shifted how public space is seen and used—demonstrating that cultural movement can be a public health intervention and redefining who public space is for.
Keeping the Fire Burning in Winter
As the season shifts and winter settles in, a new energy stirs in the Hutt Valley. Inano Dance is deep in preparation for Te Maeva Nui—the annual celebration of Cook Islands culture held in Auckland. Meet and Greets echo with laughter and anticipation, as the community gathers in unity and pride. Inano Dance is making history—leading Oire Te Whanganui-a-Tara as the sole group beyond Auckland to take the Te Maeva Nui stage.
These sessions are more than preparation for performance—they’re a form of performance fitness. Stretching, hydration, breathwork, and storytelling are part of the routine. This holistic model not only improves stamina and performance but also fosters pride, discipline, and resilience. Their participation in culture reinforces physical activity.
A Movement Beneath the Surface: Shifting the System
Behind the graceful sway of pareu and the rhythmic beat of drums lies a deeper transformation—one that’s quietly reshaping how Cook Island communities experience health and wellbeing.
Inano Dance isn’t just teaching steps; they’re shifting systems.
Rewriting the Rules: By championing Cook Islands dance as a legitimate form of physical activity, Inano Dance is challenging what counts as “exercise” in health and sport frameworks. We helped challenge traditional sport and health systems to expand their definition of movement to include cultural dance.
Changing the Daily Rhythm: Rehearsals are wellness rituals—normalising health in a way that feels joyful and rooted in identity.
Redirecting the Flow: Through the Healthy Organisations Pilot, Inano Dance accessed training, funding pathways, and system navigation support, allowing them to scale their impact.
Strengthening the Vā: Elders pass on knowledge, youth find belonging, and families gather to move together. These relationships are the invisible threads that hold the community strong. With our support to mobilise people participation, Inano Dance fostered collective wellbeing—supporting social, cultural, and physical health together.
Shifting the Power: Inano Dance is led by Pacific people, for Pacific people. Their voice is shaping the future of health in the Hutt Valley.
Changing the Lens: Where once “fitness” meant gyms and running shoes, now it includes laughter, drums, and the sway of hips. Inano Dance is helping people see that health doesn’t have to look foreign—it can look like home.
Inano Dance’s leadership showed what’s possible when systems make way for community-led solutions, reinforcing Tangata Moana self-determination in health and wellbeing.
Looking Ahead: Building a System That Looks Like Us
Healthy Families Hutt Valley remains committed to amplifying community-led solutions like Inano Dance—by bringing visibility to the health leadership of Tangata Moana, enabling access to spaces, strengthening community connections, and building capability to influence systems. Through this work, we help shift the narrative of health to one that reflects the lived realities and strengths of our communities.
Urahiit | Summer Activations - Inano Dance
“We have a strong Tangata Moana community, and our spheres of influence are growing. Inano Dance shows us that health doesn’t have to look like gyms and running shoes. It can look like laughter, drums, and the sway of hips. This is systems change led by Tangata Moana, for Tangata Moana.”
— Mele Tonga-Grant, Systems Innovator, Healthy Families Hutt Valley
The impact of Inano Dance reaches far beyond the stage. Their story is a powerful reminder that when culture leads, wellbeing follows. As systems leaders, they are helping reshape what health looks like for Tangata Moana—proving that culture is not an add-on, but a driving force for transformation.