By Rayana Hunt
Polynesian groups performed in the Wilkinson Student Center ballroom Wed. night, March 6, for WorldFest 2002''s international concert.
Two groups, one made up of elementary, middle and high school students in West Valley City, Salt Lake County, and another from Springville, represented a variety of Polynesian islands.
Enoc Flores, director of BYU International Services, said WorldFest has a different culture perform each year.
'We''ve had Latin, we''ve had Black, we''ve had South American,' said Flores. 'And now we have a Polynesian show.'
The students from West Valley, who have no name for their group, performed traditional dances from Tonga, Tokelau, Hawaii and Samoa.
During one part of a dance from Tonga, 11 year-old girl Vicelia Tavo performed a solo piece.
Tavo, who has been dancing since she was five, said her favorite part about dancing is 'the money.'
As part of Polynesian tradition, members of the audience may run up on stage and put money in the dancer''s clothing.
'That means that they are actually proud of you,' said Tavo, who received several bills during her performance.
The Samoan dance was the largest the students performed. Girls wore bright red skirts and boys wore bright yellow, as they stomped and chanted to beating drums.
During the Samoan segment, the boys did a slap-dance, which, according to audience reaction, was the favorite of the night. The boys beat their chests, stomped and yelled in unison.
Elijah Karo, 17, was one of the slap-dancers. He said his favorite part about performing is 'being able to see everyone just smile and people smiling makes me smile, too.'
All the students are from the Granite School District and have practices every day after school, said Granger High student Sila Tuakoi.
Tuakoi participated in the Tongan and Samoan dances and described her involvement with dancing an educational experience.
'We know more of our culture,' said Tuakoi. 'We get to know what each motion means and how each dance goes.'
A group from Springville performed dances from New Zealand.
The New Zealanders started their program with a rhythmic chanting of their generations. The group then sang their own music while they danced and women swung poy balls, small white balls attached to long braided ropes.
Flores said the purpose of the Polynesian concert was to share the cultures of the islands.
'The idea,' said Flores, 'is to present a different culture to people at our university.'