KAHUKU HIGH SCHOOL TAKES TITLE AT SAMOA HIGH SCHOOL ARTS FESTIVAL
Packed House Cheers on Seven Competing Schools from Oahu
La‘ie, HI – High school and college students from throughout Oahu gathered Saturday at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) to show off their knowledge and skills of Samoa¹s cultural traditions at the 2006 Samoa Arts Festival.
More than 500 students took part representing seven high schools, including Aiea, Farrington, Kahuku, Kapolei, Moanalua, Nanakuli and Waipahu. This year welcomed first-time competitors from Aiea, Kapolei and Nanakuli High Schools, making this year¹s competition bigger and better than ever.
The competition also included two special exhibition performances by United Samoa Organization (USO) and the winners from the 2005-2006 Samoan Idol.
Along with the World Fireknife Dance Competition, the Samoan Arts Festival is a premier event of the Samoa Festival, which concludes tonight.
It was a packed house in the PCC¹s Pacific Theater with the audience cheering wildly throughout the competition. "Each year the students get even better at the cultural games," said Ellen Gay Dela Rosa, senior manager for Hawaii sales and promotions at the PCC. "They showed great creativity in their costumes, dances, music and speeches, and were enjoyable and entertaining to watch."
The high school students worked together as teams in exciting cultural competitions that tested their expertise at traditional Samoan skills like coconut husking, basket weaving, and banana peeling. They also demonstrated their Samoan oratorical talents, musicianship, and mastery of traditional dances. Kahuku High School was judged the overall winner based on its cumulative performance in all the competitions.
One of the festival¹s highlights was an exhibition performance by the United Samoan Organization of Hawaii. Led by Tui Pule, a judge for the Samoan Arts Festival, the group showcased its dance skills and love of the Samoan culture. It also sponsored the first place prize of $300 for the Taupo (princess dance).
Other sponsors for the Samoa Arts Festival included Coca-Cola, Electric Pencil, Hawaiian Airlines, United Samoan Organization of Hawaii (USO) and Turtle Bay Resort.
The high school awards included cash prizes and trophies for the various tasks and dances.
The competition rankings for the 2006 Samoa Arts Festival are:
OVERALL WINNERS
(Based on Total Number of Points Earned):
1. Kahuku High School
2. Farrington High School
3. Moanalua High School
CULTURAL GAMES
Basket Weaving
Men: No finishers
Women:
1. Kahuku High School
2. Aiea High School
3. Kapolei High School
Green banana Peeling
Men:
1. Kahuku High School
2. Kapolei High School
3. Farrington High School
Women:
1. Farrington High School
2. Kahuku High School
3. Kapolei High School
Coconut Husking
Men:
1. Aiea High School
2. Kapolei High School
3. Farrington High School
Women:
1. Kapolei High School
2. Aiea High School
3. Waipahu High School
Fire Making
Men:
1. Farrington High School
2. Kahuku High School
Lauga (Oratory)
1. Merina Siuta, Farrington High School
2. Jacob Levale, Kahuku High School
3. Ana Mariko, Waipahu High School
DANCE
Fa'aluma (Comedian):
1. Moanalua High School
Costumes
1. Farrington High School
Musicians
1. Aiea High School
2. Kahuku High School
3. Moanalua High School
Mauluulu (Girls Dance):
1. Kahuku High School
2. Farrington High School
3. Waipahu High School
Sasa (Sitting Dance):
1. Kahuku High School
2. Waipahu High School
3. Moanalua High School
Taupou (Princess Dance):
1. Kahuku High School
2. Farrington High School
3. Moanalua High School
Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, the PCC has entertained more than 33 million visitors, while preserving and portraying the culture, arts, and crafts of Polynesia to the rest of the world. In addition, the PCC has provided financial assistance to 15,000 young people from over 70 different countries while they attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii. As a non-profit organization, 100 percent of PCC¹s revenue is used for daily operations and to support education.
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NOTE: High resolution images available for download at http://www.mcneilwilson.com by following the link to this press release on the home page.
Media Contact: Amy Hennessey
Phone: 808-539-3439
Mobile: 808-381-9197
