KEARNS, Utah — Over at Kearns High School, students aren’t just rehearsing dance moves. They’re stepping into stories from Tonga, Samoa, and Tahiti that connect them to their roots.
It’s all part of the People of the Pacific Student Leadership class, which mixes traditional island dances with lessons on leadership, citizenship, conflict resolution, and becoming cultural champions in their community.
The showcase tonight, featuring about 30 students, brings it all together — step by step, beat by beat.
“Different islands have different dances, and so we’re teaching them the differences between them and also the similarities and how they connect,” McAilee Taliulu, a volunteer dance teacher, said.
Senior Leilania Tauteoli says it hits her personally.
“It makes me feel more strongly about my culture knowing that I can tell you the story about my dance,” she explained during the group’s rehearsal. “Before we dance, we first learn the meaning of our dance.”
Caress Perry, who teaches the class, says she sees a real need in the community. “There’s a large number of Polynesians in this community, and a lot of them don’t have the opportunity to learn about where they came from,” she said.
She worries these traditions could fade.
"There’s a real concern that it might die out with this generation. We want to continue on being patriotic, but also people need to understand that there’s a special part of you that’s also a part of your ancestors and grandparents who sacrificed a lot for you to be here,” Perry said.
Senior Niko Faamausili says it has opened his eyes.
“It helped me get to know more things about my culture that I didn’t know,” he said as students rehearsed behind him.
Catch the showcase tonight on Tuesday, May 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kearns High Auditorium.
“Because they’re able to connect to their joy and roots and to the fact that their ancestors, grandparents sacrificed a lot for them to have a better life,” she said. “They’re not just here to recreate and be social; they understand they’re a part of something greater than themselves."
