Omar Ortega

From bottom to up Seniors Leslie Calas, Bibiana Mejia and, Alondra Lua performed a Polynesian dance on May 3 during lunch. For Hawaiian day, their coach showed the school the culture of Hawaii.

Polynesian Club dominated the Quad on May 3rd, executing hand, hip and leg movements with both grace and precision. By doing so, the girls brought Hawaiian day to its peak.

“Polynesian Club does Polynesian, Samoan, Hawaiian and New Zealand style dances. With all of them, we tell a story,” senior president of Polynesian Club Michelle Tahminjian said. “With Polynesian dancing, we tell a story with our hips. With Samoan and Hawaiian dancing, we tell it with our hands and our feet.”

In addition to Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie,” Polynesian club conveyed stories to songs such as “Pate Pate” and “Ekailuae” attributing the choreography to coach Sue Molifua.

“I really enjoy that we’re telling a story about life that you don’t really find anymore because everything is about rapping, guns and drugs. It’s very peaceful,” Tahminjian said. “Some are love songs. A guy will be writing to a girl and will say nothing compares to her. When they say kiss, we brush our lips and give it out to the crowd.”

Along with their bi-weekly dance practices, members bond through lessons with the Hawaiian born Mrs. Matsubara, the advisor of the club, who shares about her homeland and gives insight on its culture.

“We learn about the islands and talk about the sea, the sky and everything about the scenery,” Tahminjian said. “They teach us to observe our surroundings and to not just walk by.”

Even though Friday marked Tahminjian’s fourth year performing, the president admits that her stomach is still victim to butterflies.

“You get stage fright a little bit, but once you get going, and as long as you smile, you get over it,” Tahminjian said. “You can be the worst dancer, but as long as you’re smiling, you’re okay.”

Unlike any other Cultural Arts Center show, Polynesian Club’s upcoming performance promises a night of entertainment.

“We’re trying to get a show May 23rd in the CAC. It’s one night, and we usually have it at seven o’clock,” Tahminjian said. “We have a lot of songs. [The performance in the Quad] was just a preview.”

Graduating in a little over a month, Tahminjian sums up her four years in the club as irreplaceable. She hopes to return to Carlsbad in the years to come to support the future generations of Polynesian Club.

“From Polynesian Club, I’ve gained stamina and a lot of friends,” Tahminjian said. “I’ve learned to be happy because that’s what our dancing is about, nothing brutal, just a lot of happy songs.”