I am a Rotuman born and raised in Fiji. Dancing has been part of my life ever since
I was very young. I moved to America at age 10 and at age 15 I joined a hula school in Santa Clara, California.
At age 16 my family moved to Salt Lake City and I met an amazing neighbor, church friend and hula teacher Moana Allen.
She is the reason why I love hula. I was tutored for 2 years by her. At about the same time I joined a Polynesian
Choir of about 80 members and a few of them created a dance group consisting of about 20 performers. I was fortunate
to learn Maori dance from the late Winton Ria, Hula from the late Clara Silva, Tahitian dance from 2 sisters Merehau Kamai
and Tearo Matagi. I also learned Samoan dances from Luana Philipoon. I performed frequently with these 2 groups
and I had a blast! We competed once when I was 17 years old. We, 8 young ladies came down to Las Vegas in 1991
and participated in a tahitian dance competition at Palace Station Hotel. Performing and competing was the highlight
of my teen years.
Fast forward several years
later... As a mom, I wanted the flexibility
of working and being able to take care of my children. Becoming a polynesian dance teacher and entertainer allowed me
the flexibility of being able to raise my family. It's been a very enjoyable journey sharing the polynesian culture
and I look forward to making more cherished memeories.
