Novelyn Tavita (Redmond) is a Polynesian dancer and teacher of Hawaiian descent. She began dancing at the age of five, and now teaches at Hokule’s Ohana dance company. Her seven children also dance in the company.
Bio
The immensely popular 55-member Hokule’a Ohana dance company has been in Redmond since the 1990s, when Novelen Tavita and her husband moved to the area. At the insistence of her Hawaiian-born father, Tavita began hula lessons at the age of five, and she hasn’t stopped dancing since. Many of her student have been with her for as long as 20 years. “I am glad that we’re here to share our culture,” she remarked. Polynesian dance began as an accompaniment to the oral story telling traditions of the islands, conveying the literal meaning of a tale. Modern Polynesian dance still tells stories through movement, but with more focus on the beauty of the dances themselves. Tahitian dance, also part of the company’s repertoire, consists of fast, rhythmic hip movements. These hip isolations, known as oteas, are the highlight of many Hokule’a Ohana dance performances. The effortless motion of the dancers’ hips as they sway in perfect unison with their hands, shoulders and feet, the mesmerizing beat of the music, the beautiful costumes—the pieces all fit together with an easy grace. The art form’s greatest reward is the feeling of ohana, or family. “You’re our ohana is the expression used,” Tavita explains. “We want to be one big family and treat each other with respect. If anyone needed help with anything...we’re here for you.” While the sound of Hawaiian music drifting from the open door of the Redmond dance studio comes as a surprise in the midst of Central Oregon’s rough-and-tumble high desert “cowboy country,” the circumstance speaks to the migration of people—and their cultural traditions. Tavita is actively passing down the tradition to her seven children who all dance in the company.
