House drummers ready themselves for the solo dance finalists on Saturday afternoon at Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Dancers compete in groups of four in a head to head fashion during the final competition for Kiki Raina’s Solo Dancers.
Young dancers perform for Kiki Raina’s judges during a group exhibition dance.
Young dancers perform for Kiki Raina’s judges during a group exhibition dance.
Young dancers perform for Kiki Raina’s judges during a group exhibition dance.
Drum teams compete for the best sounds and rhythms, playing both traditional songs as well as their own creations to be judged on creativity.
Drum teams compete for the best sounds and rhythms, playing both traditional songs as well as their own creations to be judged on creativity.
A drum team member competes for the best sounds and rhythms, playing both traditional and original songs.
Drum teams compete for the best sounds and rhythms, playing both traditional songs as well as their own creations to be judged on creativity.
Kiki Raina organizer Rebecca Ka’awela Manandic receives an award, appreciation and acknowledgement for her dedication to bringing the Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete to Merced for 40 years.
Drummers from every dance troupe competing in the 40th annual Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete come together on Sunday night to create an exhilarating performance.
Drummers from every dance troupe competing in the 40th annual Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete come together on Sunday night to create an exhilarating performance.
Dancers, their friends and family, and the majority of spectators take to the floor to dance together just prior to the awards ceremony to cap off three days of competition.
Miss Maeva 2019 Jacquelyn Jacinto takes to the floor with two young dancers on Sunday afternoon.
Drummers filled the Golden Valley Gymnasium with traditional Polynesian drum music throughout the weekend.
A young dancer receives an award for catching Kiki Raina’s announcer’s eye with her dancing during a children’s exhibition dance.
The Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete, which took place at Golden Valley High School from March 22 through 24, drew hundreds of people to Merced who were there to appreciate the preservation of a unique culture.
The festival, founded by Becky Manandic, is the longest continually running Tahitian dance competition outside of Tahiti, and the only event with a beginner category.
The most important purpose of the festival for the dancers is to provide a competition where, through individual solos or through group performances, participants dance to improve their basic skills while building their self-esteem.
During the event, competition is broken down into groups by gender and age.
The judges evaluate each dancer’s technique, stage presence, posture, precision and personality.
Tahitian dancers shake their hips by moving them in a circular motion. They must make sure that their hips are moving in a complete circle instead of cutting corners. Imagine you are in a box, and you can’t make a move outside the box. Your hips must hit every corner.
The combination of bent knees, straight upper body, and the grass and leaves of the costume creates the illusion that the hips are moving very fast.
Tahiti Fete Artistic Director Manandic commented, “This festival is all Tahitian dancing. Tahitian dances developed differently from those on other islands thousands of miles away. What we’re doing is culturally correct.”
On Sunday afternoon, Tamari’i Groups danced.
Manandic explained, “This is also known as the Children’s Competition. Our dancers from Merced, Atwater and Los Banos, 13 and under, would be competing against another group, but there wasn’t another group so it was an exhibition.”
She continued, “They performed a combination Ote’a (drum dance) and Aparima (music part with ukelele). It contained a greeting, which was a salute. The drum dance was just drums and hand motions, and no music. The dance was about how wonderful Tahiti is where one can go fishing, pick fruit and see birds.”
In 2021, Manandic’s dancers will see Tahiti for themselves when they travel there to dance in a festival. This trip takes place every three years.
Describing the other two days of the Merced event, Manandic said, “There were over 300 soloists. They came from all over — Hawaii, Las Vegas, Colorado, Utah and Northern California. The judges were from Hawaii and Tahiti. By elimination, the judges chose dancers from the group so they could see their solos. Saturday was all solos, except group drumming.”
At the festival, guests could enjoy island dishes and buy gifts.
The Hawaiian “kalua pig plate” was shredded pork, and the “lau lau pork” was pork wrapped in a lau lau leaf.
The traditional way to cook lau lau pork is in an underground pit.
First, a hole is dug in the ground. The food is put in, and hot rocks are placed on top of the food, and that is topped with banana leaves. The whole thing is covered so it’s like an oven.