Pāitaita turu’i ora (the alchemy of life) was performed by Nāpua Mexico Australia at the Hura Tapairu Manihini competition 2024. This piece challenges traditional notions of romantic love, emphasises self-love and the individual's responsibility to cultivate personal growth and strives to dismantle the stereotypical role of women in romantic relationships.

Amazing, inspired, fulfilled, and transformed are just some of the feelings after finishing the DUTI dance training program. The exhausting yet invigorating three months flew by before our eyes. The experience both expanded and challenged us, in more ways than we anticipated.

It’s been a positive first six weeks – with shared sentiment of joy and excitement being able to wake up each day and dance. Whilst the course has undoubtedly been an amazing experience so far, it’s been met with some intense physical and mental challenges, to which we have persevered and grown through the process.

At the beginning of 2021, a group of ten strangers from diverse backgrounds and dance experiences embarked on our DUTI three-month training program. We were from different walks of life with varying levels of dance experience. Here’s the start of our journey…

Heiva San Diego was my very first (and hopefully not the last) international Tahitian Dance competition experience. It was the first time that dancers from opposite ends of the earth, from Mexico City, Mexico, and Sydney, Australia, from the Nāpua dance school, came together to compete in the Mehura category at Heiva San Diego 2019.