Peter Rockford Espiritu is the Founder and Artistic Director of Tau Dance Theater. A lifetime hula practitioner and progeny of the Ka’imikaua, Hoakalei, Luahine and Holokai lines, with ‘ūniki papa kaula for oli (chant) with kumu (master) Dr. Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele.  Mr. Espiritu also trained in classical ballet at the School of American Ballet in New York City and modern dance with Betty Jones, founding member of the José Limón Company with scholarships to the American Dance Festival (Duke University) and Colorado Dance Festival.

 

He served for many years as Artistic Director of (ECHO) Education for Cultural and Historical Organizations; at the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture & Pacific Studies at the University of South Pacific in Fiji; and last year for the Western Arts Alliance’s Indigenous Roadshow workshop. He co-choreographed the Starlit Hui Show at the Disney Aulani Resort and served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Irvine Foundation, and Dance America.

 

Mr. Espiritu, has spent over 30 years directing, choreographing, and teaching globally as a master teacher as well as for Tau Dance Theater and the Tau Y2 School and Junior Company with recent focus on dramaturgy for the premiere to the world tour of MINOWÍN in Canada for Vancouver based indigenous company Dancers of Damelahamid.

​​

Learn more by checking out Tau Dance Theater's contribution to Ripples, a special project done by Intercultural Roots, an international organization that acknowledges traditional and indigenous embodied arts.