Last Sunday, Skyline held the Hawaiian and Tahitian dance performance from two halaos called Te Aranui O Tahiti. The event was hosted by locally known Nemenzo dance group as well as a new group on the rise from American Canyon, To’erau Manu Rahi.

The Nemenzo Dance Group was started back in 1996 and gained the name because of their family name. Both groups performed fantastically, but both have different styles.

Nemenzo, came to the stage with what dance instructor and choreographer, Nene Nemenzo called “an old school style, ori-tahito, along with the new school, ori-raau.”

But the style for To’erau Manu Rahi is different from Nemenzo. They create their own music in which their dancing matches perfectly to re-enact the lyrics.

“As far as our style I feel like we are different, especially from a musical standpoint. Traditional Ori with a twist,” said Shantelle Cenizal, a new member of the group.

Rob Sampayan,a dancer, went on saying, “The majority of our music is written in Tahitian and composed by our own musicians. I’ve watched them write songs in the past and I’m blown away how they’re able to feed off of one another and in no time, create a beautiful and catchy tune. Needless to say, it takes a genius to pull it all off!”

To’erau Manu Rahi is a newer group on the scene, starting back in January 2010. According to Sampayan the group is very close. “Our Utuafare (family) is really just that: a huge, loving family!”

You can definitely feel the Utuafare vibes from the audience when they were off stage. You would just hear them chanting and yelling together in unison, very pumped and enthusiastic.

The audience was comprised of family and friends. The crowd was very attentive and responsive to the performers, clapping and cheering quite often. Raechelle Caluya, a sibling of a performer from To’erau Manu Rahi, enjoyed the Otea part of the performance.. “Everything came out great, everyone was smiling and they showed that they really enjoyed dancing!”

Another spectator, Kimberley Turner’s favorite parts of the performance were by To’erau Manu Rahi. “I really like the E Manu E performance the one where they are wearing the brown satin dresses….. I really like that song.” Proving the music is very special to the group.

Daniel Chee came to the performance with a fresh mind. “I had no idea Tahiti even existed; this performance opened my eyes to their culture.” He went on to say “I thoroughly enjoyed the Tahitian performance.”

Whether you know the culture, enjoy the music, or just came for the experience, Te Aranui O Tahiti was a profound performance. It captivated the audience and showed the strengths and unity of the dancers