The drums will pound and hips will gyrate as Tahiti Fete of Hilo returns for two days of competition from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 2 and 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 3 at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
The drums will pound and hips will gyrate as Tahiti Fete of Hilo returns for two days of competition from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 2 and 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 3 at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Tahitian dance companies, called “pupu ori,” and individual dancers will perform during this exciting dance festival presented by Pua Tahiti Productions of San Jose (Calif.) and Hilo. This year’s competition will feature companies from throughout Hawaii, the mainland, Mexico and Japan.
“The fete highlights Polynesian culture, Tahitian in particular, and helps to foster camaraderie and the aloha spirit among dance and music companies and entertainers from around the world,” said founding producer Pua Tokumoto, who hopes to present Tahiti Fete of Hilo every other year.
In addition to the dancers and drummers, there will be arts, crafts, food, music entertainment and product vendors, giving the event a festival atmosphere.
Special local guest recording artists and an exciting Rapa Nui group will highlight this year’s Tahiti Fete.
With more than two decades of producing the much larger Tahiti Fete of San Jose at the San Jose State University Event Center, Tokumoto brought the fete to Hilo in 2000, where she and her award-winning steel guitarist husband, Dwight, call home.
“There is such a huge interest in Tahitian dance and culture in Hawaii, it was a natural to start a fete here,” she said. “Actually, Tahitian culture is global and since we started the Hilo fete, we established a smaller No Te Here i Tahiti Mexico in Mexico City that includes workshops on Tahitian dance and hula, as well as a mini Tahiti fete.”
Tahiti Fete of Hilo tickets for each day cost $15 general admission and $10 for children 5-12, seniors 65 and older and full-time students, and are available at Basically Books, the Most Irresistible Shop and Hilo Naniloa Hotel. Tickets also can be purchased online at www.tahitifete.com or at the door.
Parking is free.
For more information, contact Tokumoto at 935-3002 or pua@tahitifete.com.