Moemoana Schwenke

Moemoana Schwenke was born and raised in Samoa and is one of few female Siva Afi (fire dancers) in the world. Daughter to Matavai directors Maryjane and Fred Schwenke, Moemoana has served Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts since its establishment in 2013.

Creative Performing Artist and Indigenous Cultural Preservation Advocate is fiercely proud of her cultural and historic roots, investing much of her time between Samoa, Australia, and extensive travels to regional dance competitions and projects throughout the South Pacific.

As she juggles Creative Performing Arts, teaching, working, and studying toward a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies and Environmental Humanities at the University of Wollongong, Moemoana lives true to her name, navigating the waters of life with calm composure and peaceful poise.

She was raised in a family that was bound together by culture and because of that, it has been embedded within her. Her mother Maryjane McKibbin Schwenke, crowned Miss Samoa Australia, Miss Samoa, and Miss South Pacific, is the reason she came to be encapsulated by the Samoan Siva. Through dance, the beauty of a taupou, gracefulness, elegance, and warrior-like talents she knew she wanted to become a dancer because dancing can tell a story without even saying a word.

“I dance and perform in honor of my ancestors who navigated and fought for a peaceful land. The very exact land that we are destroying today. The very exact land we take for granted by polluting and exploiting.”

She feels a deep connection she shares with her culture and lets it influence everything that she does, from performing arts and promoting equality to advocating for the preservation of our environment.

Watch her performances that herald the beauty of our cultures and be inspired.