Mele Lokalesia Fifita hated dancing when she was growing up, but it has helped put her through university and now she is performing as part of the Living Legends show that opens in Auckland tonight.
Fifita, whose mother comes from Matahau and whose father is from Kolovai and Fo’ui, grew up in California.
Her mother lived in Auckland for a while before her family moved her to Long Beach, California. Her grandmother was raising her children on her own and the move was for a better life.
She is a Communications major specialising in public relations at Brigham Young University in Utah.
It is the third time the 20 year-old has been in New Zealand.
“I love New Zealand,” Fifita said.
“It’s nice to be surrounded by Polynesians. It’s nice to be able to see family and also the land, it’s so beautiful.
“California’s full of buildings and dirt but the land here is green and very beautiful.”
Fifita has been back to Tonga for the past three years and her brother served in the kingdom as a Mormon missionary.
Being part of Living Legends has made her appreciate her culture.
“Growing up I hated dancing and every family function my Mom would make me do a ta’uolunga and I never really appreciated it until I joined the group,” she said.
By joining this group, she had been able to show people the importance of the grace and beauty of the ta’uolunga.
“It’s just nice to share my culture and have the rest of the world appreciate our grace and beauty more,” she said.
“I love my culture and I hope that our people take pride in it and use it as motivation to continue doing their best in life.”
But the dancing has also become a second life for her.
“People ask me to tau’olunga and that’s how I pay for my books,” she said.
“It’s funny, people don’t think you can do anything but I’ve been paying for my schooling by doing a tauʻolunga.”
Living Legends opens in Auckland tonight
Living Legends, a performance of Polynesian, indigenous American and Latin American dance opens a two night run in Auckland tonight.
Featuring students from Brigham Young University in Utah, Living Legends will be held at Holy Trinity cathedral in Parnell tonight (April 28) at 7pm and at the BNZ theatre at 7pm at the Vodafone Events centre tomorrow night (April 29).
“Each year, hundreds of BYU students audition for the opportunity to pay tribute to their ancestors through music and dancing,” a statement from the promoters said.
“The audition process is competitive, accepting only the best singers and dancers, but all Living Legends members are of Native American, Latin American, or Polynesian heritage.
“This year’s Living Legends performance reflects the cycle of civilizations through the portrayal of changing seasons and weaves together legends of the past with the reality of today.”
Last year the show toured British Columbia in Canada, Alaska and New Mexico. It previously toured Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Apart from New Zealand, this year Living Legends will also tour Samoa and Tonga.
Living Legends originates in the Department of Dance, College of Fine Arts and Communications, at Brigham Young University, which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The main points
- Mele Lokalesia Fifita hated dancing when she was growing up, but it has helped put her through university and now she is performing as part of the Living Legends show that opens in Auckland tonight.
- Living Legends is a performance of Polynesian, indigenous American and Latin American dance featuring students from Brigham Young University in Utah.
- “Growing up I hated dancing and every family function my Mom would make me do a ta’uolunga and I never really appreciated it until I joined the group,” Fifita said.
- Fifita, whose mother comes from Matahau and whose father is from Kolovai and Fo’ui, grew up in California.
