Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 5, 1 May 1990 — laorana! Island keiki dance [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

laorana! Island keiki dance

By Deborah Lee Ward Editor, Ka Wai Ola O OHA To the beat of drums and toere, and with colorful pareo and flowers, the 1990 Keiki Tahiti Fete, a young people's Tahitian dance competition, got underway Mar. 17 in the St. Louis High School McCabe gymnasium. About 114 youthful participants shared their talent in the art of 'ote'a, aparima himene and the ori Tahiti stylings of native Tahitian dance. The Keiki Tahiti Fete, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by the Kalihi-Palama Culture and Arts Society Ine., an independent community-based non-profit corporation. The festival is also sponsored in part by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The festival is held to stimulate an interest in and an awareness of Hawaii's Polynesian affiliation with the peoples of Tahiti. The day-long event began with a performance

by the Te Vai Ura Nui ensemble, directed by Charles Temanaha. Master of ceremonies Kimo Keawe, KCCN radio personaiity, introduced judges Lucy Lee, Roiti Sylva and Etua Tahauri. Sylva, originally from Tahiti , was a premier Tahitian dancer performing in Hawai'i. Tahauri, who lives in Laie, is owner of the Hawai'i Polynesian Cultural Supply and a Tahitian dance instructor for more than 20 years. Six studios participated in the competition: Ato'oi Marama from Hanapepe, Kaua'i (director Kapu Kinimaka-Alquiza); Tamarii Aia Here, from Lahaina, Maui (Reri N.L. Septimo); Moemoea Productions from Laie, O'ahu (Patricia Wilson); Ho'omaika'i Hula Studio from Kane'ohe. O'ahu (Shona Lam Ho); Tamarii Tiare Tahiti, O'ahu (Rene Tetuanui); and Aloha Pumehana O Polynesia of Waipahu (Denise Kauhionamauna Ramento). Awards were presented in the following categories:

Boys from the Aloha Pumehana O Polynesia studio put heart and soul into their dancing to

take third plaee in the group ote'a tane category.

Grand prize for the overall festival winner went to the Atooi Marama group of Kaua'i,

here receiving their $500 award from Hazel Naone, of the Kalihi-Palama Culture and Arts

Society. Raatira (kumu hula) Kapu Kinimaka Alquiza is at left.