For Immediate Release

POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER HOSTS 14TH Annual Te Mahana Hiroa Tumu O Tahiti

Top Tahitian Dancers Showcased at Cultural Festival July 10, 12 & 13, 2013

Laie, Hawaii – July 1, 2013 – The vibrant and spirited culture, music and dance of Tahiti will be on display during the 14th annual Te Mahana Hiroa O Tahiti fete (festival) at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) on July 10, 12, and 13. This year, the cultural celebration will feature a Tamure marathon for the first time in the festival’s history, followed by two days of Tahitian dance competition.

Attracting visitors and locals alike, this crowd-pleasing festival features tamarii (youth) and taurearea (adults) dancers from around the island competing in solo and group divisions.

“This annual fete provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the thrilling talents of different skill levels ranging from the eager-to-learn tamarii to experienced taurearea,” said Logo Apelu, PCC’s Chief Operating Officer. “It is a joy to see both tane (male) and vahine (female) performers display their many artistic talents and skills, but more importantly, to see their passion for Tahitian culture come alive on stage.”

New to the fete this year is a three-hour Tamure marathon on Wednesday, July 10. The fun and interactive event introduces beginners to the basic steps and movements of traditional Tahitian dances. The workshops held one after the other are led by expert instructors, with all participants receiving a t-shirt.

The invitational division on Friday, July 12 is one of the most anticipated components of the festival. Only the most skilled and graceful dancers, including many who have won the title of “Best Tahitian Solo Dancer” in other major heiva (celebration of Tahitian culture) nationwide, are invited to compete individually.

“Our Te Mahana Hiroa O Tahiti festival is timed each year to coincide with the annual Heiva, or celebration of Tahitian culture, held in Papeete, Tahiti,” added Apelu. “We are proud to have hosted this festival for 14 years as it honors our mission of preserving the cultures of Polynesia.”

The final day of the festival features tamarii (children) group performances in the otea and aparima styles of dance and solo otea performances. The otea is the best-known Tahitian style of dance where fast, rhythmic hip movements are synchronized to the rapid beats of wooden toere (long wooden drums with a hollowed slit) and other drums. The aparima, literally translated as “kiss of the hands,” is performed to music, including the Tahitian ukulele, and uses hand motions to tell a story similar to the Hawaiian hula.

Competitors in each category are judged on several criteria including skill, grace and speed during the otea as well as their costumes, coordination and timing of the dance with the drumming, and the overall presentation of their performance. Tane, or male dancers are also judged on their paoti – the masculine style of ori Tahiti (Tahitian dance) that features sharp scissor-like movements of the legs.

Te Mahana Hiroa Tumu O Tahiti schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, July 10, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Tamure Marathon (Novice Tahitian Dance Workshops), Tahiti Village

Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Invitational Division, Tahiti Village

Saturday, July 13, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Solo and Group Performances, Pacific Theater

Admission for each day of the festival is $10 for adults, ages 12 and up, and $6 for keiki, ages five to eleven. Entry into the Tamure Marathon is $10 for adults, ages 12 and up, and $6 for keiki, ages five to eleven. Kamaaina Annual Pass holders, full-day ticket holders and keiki under the age of five receive free admission to PCC and all Te Mahana Hiroa O Tahiti events (excludes the Tamure Marathon).

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.Polynesia.com, or call the PCC ticket office at (808) 367-7060. On Oahu, call (808) 293-3333.

Celebrating 50 years in 2013, the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) was founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, and has entertained more than 37 million visitors, while preserving and portraying the culture, arts and crafts of Polynesia to the rest of the world. In addition, the PCC has provided financial assistance to nearly 18,000 young people from more than 70 different countries while they attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii. As a non-profit organization, 100 percent of PCC’s revenue is used for daily operations and to support education.

# # #

Media Contact:
Kelley Cho
(808) 539-3474
Kelley.Cho@AnthologyGroup.com

*For formatting purposes, all diacriticals have been removed from this release.

We welcome press releases on the food, wine, travel, and items related to the hospitality industry. We receive emails with more than we can post to our service. If you would like to post a press release, please click the the submission tab to get the form to upload your release. You can also upload three photos. It will go in pending and be scheduled, unless it is unappropriate. This will enable more of you to have your releases up in a timely manner.

Maralyn D. Hill, The Epicurean Explorer

International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA)

Board Member, Co-Chair Conference & Media Trip Committee, Past President

Editor-at-Large, CityRoom

Freelance Lifestyle Journalist

Blogs: Where and What in the World & Success with Writing

https://authorcentral.amazon.com

Follow me: @maralynhill

FB: http://www.facebook.com/The.Epicurean.Explorer,, http://www.facebook.com/WhereandWhat.intheWorld, http://www.facebook.com/Success.With.Writing

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/maralynhill