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Heiva I Keaukaha celebrates Tahitian dance, culture through competition

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Merahi Productions under kumu Tiffany Dela Cruz dances at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel on April 2, 2024. (File photo: Kelsey Walling)

Pulsating rhythms, sensual movements and graceful gestures are essential to the unique traditional art of ‘ori Tahiti, and its reputation has spread around the world.

Tahitian dance is a visual expression of a distinctive ancestral culture. Each movement and gesture has its own special significance that references the traditions, legends and history of French Polynesia. It is an integral part of Tahitian culture and was once almost lost to the world.

The sensuality of ‘ori Tahiti was too much for the early Protestant and Catholic missionaries, so they banned it. Fortunately, Tahitian mothers continued to transmit the gestures and movements to their daughters, so when the forbidden art was revived in the 1950s, the movements had not been lost.

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Today, ‘ori Tahiti is a popular and thriving art form with studios worldwide, and this weekend, dancers from across the state and beyond will display the expansive culture of dance from the islands of Tahiti during the 12th annual Heiva I Keaukaha in Hilo.

Hosted by Merahi Productions, Tahitian hālau and solo dancers will compete in a full day of solo and group dance competitions at Kawānanakoa Gym in Keaukaha on Sunday.

“So far, we have groups from Hilo, Kona and Oʻahu competing, as well as independent dancers coming from the mainland and a few other countries for the solo competitions,” volunteer Jennifer Ah Sing said. “We have this every year, and it’s a hit. We’re excited that many dancers come back each year and that we have people coming for the first time.”

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The group categories include:

  • Oteʻa: Traditional Tahitian dance characterized by rapid hip movements and a strong emphasis on percussion. No fewer than six, no more than 10 vahine (women) or tane (men).
  • Five-Man Oteʻa: Oteʻa performed with five vahine (women) or tane (men).
  • Aparima: Tahitian dance characterized by the use of hand gestures and facial expressions to tell a story. No fewer than three, no more than 10 dancers.
  • ʻAhupurotu: Tahitian dance similar to the Hawaiian hula, characterized by its slower, more graceful movements and the dancers’ use of elaborate headdresses. No fewer than three, no more than 10 dancers.
  • Tamariʻi Oteʻa: Youth groups performing oteʻa. No fewer than six, no more than 10 tamahine (girls) or tamaroa (boys).
  • Tamariʻi Aparima: Youth groups performing aparima. No fewer than six, no more than 10 tamahine (girls) or tamaroa (boys).
  • Tahitian drumming.

Solo categories include:

  • Couple solos.
  • Exhibition 4 years old and under.
  • Tamahine (girl) / Tamaroa (boy) ages 5-7, 8-10, 11-13.
  • Vahine (women) / Tane (men) ages 14-17, 18-23, 24-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50+.

Craft and food vendors will provide an assortment of Polynesian items and local favorites throughout the day.

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Under the direction of kumu Tiffany Dela Cruz, Merahi vahine and tamahine dancers will display their love of Polynesian culture through their rendition of traditional Tahitian dances.

Heiva I Keaukaha will open at 9:30 a.m. with dancing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 808-938-4770 or email merahiproductions@yahoo.com.

Kelsey Walling
Kelsey Walling is a full-time reporter for Big Island Now and the Pacific Media Group.

She previously worked as a photojournalist for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald from 2020 to 2024, where she photographed daily news and sports and contributed feature stories.

Originally from Texas, Kelsey has made East Hawaiʻi her home and is excited to write news stories and features about the community and its people.
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