“I never walk into a competition where I expect to win,” said Los Medanos College student Layla Lopez. 

Since the age of 6, Lopez’s life has consisted of countless hours dedicated to the one thing that she loves: dancing. Not just any kind of dancing — Tahitian dancing. From hurrying back home after classes and getting on the road to practice, to juggling school and life in between, Lopez is committed to her craft.

“Tahitian dancing, mainly used for storytelling, and passing knowledge and legends from the culture down to future generations. It is to keep their culture alive,” Lopez said.

 “Fun fact: In Tahiti, when they were colonized by the French, they weren’t allowed to speak their language, sing their songs, or dance.” 

Only in the recent 1950s were Tahitians allowed to revert to their traditions. In 1956, the Heiva dance group was formed, launching the revival of Tahitian dancing created by Madeleine Moua. 

“It’s like the Tahitian Dance Olympics,” said Lopez. “It’s not only the biggest dance competition in Tahiti, but it’s also a music competition. People display their hand-crafted items, and it’s really important for the people because for so many years they were not allowed to do any of it.” 

The Heiva festival is important to the people of Tahiti, as the festival is a celebration of traditional dances, music and art that brings people together. Dancers assemble to tell stories of Tahiti, old legends, knowledge and the purpose of the culture. 

“For each dance group, it’s not just like 10 dancers; it’s like 300 dancers on the floor. To dance in that festival, you have to be born in Tahiti to participate,” said Lopez. “But nowadays there’s a rule that each dance group is allowed 10 foreigners, and I was asked to be one of the 10.”

A great opportunity for Lopez, whose long-time dream was to compete.

“In this competition, there are amateur and pro groups. I was asked to dance for the pro group. Unfortunately, my trip to go this summer got canceled due to the director that was going to enter the competition pulled out,” said Lopez. 

She felt let down after making plans to live in Tahiti, just for that dream to be washed away. 

“I was so distraught. In a Tahitian dancer’s career, you’re never going to be guaranteed to dance in a Heiva,” said Lopez “You can be dancing for 10 to 20 years, and still won’t be guaranteed that chance.” 

Lopez emphasized just how important it was that the director chose her to be one of 10 foreign dancers to dance in the Heiva. 

“It was the fact that I’m so young, and the director saw something in me. The director has to know who you are, see you dance, and be able to take the risk of choosing me,” said Lopez. “His job is to go and do workshops in Japan and Mexico all over the United States, and he’ll do dance workshops. He keeps note of who stands out as a dancer. He’s a big deal, dare I say celebrity,” said Lopez.

Lopez discovered her interest in dance while watching her aunt perform. 

“I remember being the littlest one in the class. I would stay after and watch the older girls dance because I wanted to be like them so bad,” said Lopez.

From being the youngest in her dance class, Lopez’s confidence grew over the years.  

“When I first started dancing, I was extremely shy, and also embarrassed to do anything. When I would do a solo, I would burst out in tears and cry to my dad,” said Lopez.

“Compared to now, it has been like a 180-degree turn. I lead the practices now, and am the director’s assistant.”

A responsibility fell upon Lopez in the practice room, and while doing warm-ups, she helped run the practices to further strengthen the solos for competition day. 

“When in competition mode, I help create solos and make sure group performances are up to perfection,” said Lopez.

Traditional costumes in Tahitian culture play a significant role in dancing, as well as the music performed. Lopez’s family aren’t on the sidelines cheering her on; instead, her father and mother are heavily involved with the costumes and music.

 “My mom became our dance group costume designer. She sews, makes headpieces, and additionally is there to do the makeup of the girls,” she said. “My dad is also one of our drummers. It’s like a full affair type of thing.”

Tahitian dancing is a full-fledged passion someone must feel in their heart, mind and body to produce effortless dance moves, such as the swaying of hips. And through Lopez’s 12 years of being a dancer, she faced obstacles that hindered her ability to dance. 

“School is number one, because when I was in high school, we had to go to school every single day,” said Lopez. “Right after, I would have 15 minutes to go home and then jump on the road to practice. It was not only physically draining — my body hurt — but also emotionally.” 

Practices for Tahitian dancing can range anywhere from one to six hours, giving Lopez very little time to do her homework. 

“You have to be in a mood, like a switch that you can turn on and off when dancing. There are times when you just don’t feel like dancing that day,” said Lopez. 

But support is key, and she received plenty from her parents, friends, and dance teacher, Lisa Aguilar, who taught her everything she knows. “Knowing her legacy and what she’s accomplished motivates me to keep up to our name, ‘Te Mana O Te Ra,’” said Lopez. 

Somewhere in Lopez’s future, she dreams of playing at the Heiva festival, and perhaps even becoming a director. 

“Unlike sports, there’s no age where you can get off and stop dancing. I’m going to dance until my knees give out,” she said. “If it comes up for me to be a director, then it happens. My long-time goal is to just be able to dance until I can, and maybe one day go on that trip and be able to dance in that Heiva.” 

Lopez wants to focus on her career, sailing into any adventures that cross her path, as her love of dancing continues to grow. 

Dance is a definitive thing in Lopez’s life, and anyone can be a part of a Tahitian dance group, just like her; just be mindful and understand the history behind it.

“Anyone can dance to Tahitian, no matter what background you come from or how old you are. Just have an open mind that it’s not a culture of your own, you are representing someone else’s culture.” said Lopez.