More Than Just a Dance: Protecting Old Roots and Growing New Ones

May 4, 2022

“I remember waking up that morning thinking to myself that it was just another practice day. But seeing the full effects of the lighting, the hair, and makeup, and the costumes all put together... the lump that was in my stomach for months leading up to the production kind of just slipped away.” 

Even though the production took place a month ago, Leia de los Santos still remembers the feeling of having that lump sit in her stomach. 

Leia is a junior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she served as ‘Ewalu Club’s section leader for Tahitian dance this past school year.

‘Ewalu Club is an organization for students at the university. The club serves as a home away from home for students from Hawai‘i but also serves as a safe space for all students to learn about the Polynesian culture. 

Each year, ‘Ewalu Club creates a production (also known as ho‘ike in the Hawaiian language) where club members showcase different dances from different parts of Polynesia. This includes Hawai‘i, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Aotearoa and Tahiti.

There are one to two section leaders for each part of Polynesia. Section leaders are in charge of choreographing the numbers for their dancers. However, for Leia, choreographing meant more than just putting a few moves together. She describes it as a process that never stops.

“I was flying to California for a weekend-long concert in the Bay with my siblings and I usually don’t sleep on flights,” said Leia. “I didn’t choose to choreograph the Boys’ O‘tea (traditional dance from Tahiti) on a plane. It just sort of happened. It was difficult for me to choreograph on the plane given that I was constrained to a single, middle seat but for some reason, I was able to visualize it all in my head.”

When she choreographed the dances for her section, she thought about her past mentors and what she learned from the Ori Tahiti (Tahitian dance) community. She prayed every day and every night for a “spark, a sign,” or something to simply point her in the right direction.

Leia puts everything into her choreography because there was a time when many ancestors were restricted and even banned from practicing their culture.

“We dance for those who couldn’t,” Leia said.

Kelsienna Kaseli, ‘Ewalu Club’s president and Samoan dance section leader explains that it’s important to preserve Polynesian culture because without it, “we lose the history of our ancestors and our roots.”

Kealoha Garvin, ‘Ewalu Club’s ho‘ike coordinator and Hawaiian dance section leader explained that Polynesian culture is a way of life. It allows him to learn the skills, practices and knowledge of his ancestors. It’s important to pass all of this on so that younger generations will remember who they are and where they came from.

Kelsienna and Kealoha have been introduced to the Polynesian culture at birth. Each has grown up in a setting heavily influenced by their Polynesian backgrounds. Kelsienna grew up in a Tongan household while Kealoha grew up in a Hawaiian household.

However, Leia is not of Polynesian ancestry, but she has been exposed to Tahitian culture for most of her life.

“I know that the culture I practice is not my own but I remind myself that I fell in love with the Polynesian culture for a reason and I have a responsibility to its people to help keep the culture and its traditions alive,” said Leia.

She visited Tahiti in 2018 where the people welcomed her with open arms. “It didn’t matter to the native people that I was a foreigner on their land or a foreigner practicing their culture,” she said. “Polynesian dance is a way of connecting people through love and compassion. It is something that can be taught, but must be felt for someone to truly understand it.”

Kealoha explained that Polynesian dance shouldn’t be exclusive to Polynesian people. “These dances are all about heart. If people want to learn, let them learn.”

The annual ho‘ike was held this year on April 9th. As the days crept closer, there was more excitement and joy in the air. The dancers practiced every day after school. Ti leaves were shipped to the club from Hawai‘i for costumes and decorations. Families of the club members started to fly in. Everything slowly came together.

Days before the performance, Kelsienna vividly remembers what it felt like while she watched each section perfect their dances. “Knowing where we were at day one and watching us grow in our culture is a beautiful process to be a part of.”

On the day of ho‘ike, all of the dancers were dressed in their full costumes with their hair and makeup done. They greeted their families that evening at the Student Union, letting them know where to sit in the theater. Each section performed the dances and chants that they have been practicing for months. There was expression. There was emotion. Most of all, there was love for both the culture and each other.

After the performance was finished, Leia was reminded of how much Polynesian dance meant to her. 

“You have these ideas and sometimes it’s all you think about. It’s the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing before you sleep. You pray and hope that your ideas all work out and then you see the outcome and it's more incredible than how you first imagined it to be. I look for that fire in their eyes, the desire to give their all to the culture,” she said. “I will devote my life to making sure that the culture, its dances, and its people live through future generations to come.”