April 6 - Update on Drumming, Dancing, and Fish Identification in the Sea

 

Last night drumming was amazing. It was powerful seeing how the grounding sounds of the drum intertwine with the swift movement of the dance. As a drummer it is important to feel the beat and allow it to control you. It is equally as important to hear the rhythm of your fellow drummers and merge your sound with theirs. We are blessed to have such amazing teachers, spectacular dancers, and finally each other. Although we aren’t perfect, I am positive that we will exceed all expectations by the time we perform. We are excited to bring home the rhythms of the Tomah, Hitoto, Papahui, and Tika. (Christian M)

 

Its already Thursday! Today, Adelina taught us the beginning of our choreography that we will perform for our families next week. Our choreography takes inspiration and is almost solely about the presence of the land. When we dance, we face the ocean and some of the motions include showing waves with our arms and jumping up to grab the stars. Today, we wore pareo which is a cloth that wraps around our waist. Tahitian dancing or Ori Tahiti is no joke; we were all sweating by the end of practice. However, we were still able to dance the first part with the boys drumming. We still have a lot to practice but with our teachers, I am optimistic. (Avery K)

We had our first snorkeling experience today: it was INCREDIBLE to see all the organisms we’ve been studying all year in real life! I got to see both creatures that I wrote field guide entries on, so I was really lucky in that sense. I researched the black sea cucumber and the dusky farmer damselfish. The dusky farmers were especially fun to interact with because if you get too close to their territory, they’ll make an attempt to intimidate you by looking you straight in the eye and staring you down! It was super satisfying to recognize so many fish, from Moorish idols to convict tangs, and it definitely felt like all our work from throughout the year had paid off. (Isabella N)