A Samoan's mission to bring the ancient fire knife dance to Hong Kong
Driven by his love and passion for the Samoan culture, Masoe Hogan Toomalatai is bringing the ancient art of fire knife dancing to Hong Kong by teaching children and adults how to twirl, nimbly throw sticks and handle flames.
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Toomalatai, 41, moved from Samoa, an island country in the south-central Pacific Ocean, to Hong Kong in 2007, where he is committed to sharing his culture as a tribute to his family legacy.
'I started fire knife [dancing] when I was nine. Most of my family are entertainers and fire knife performers. We have a dance group,' he said.
'When I moved to Hong Kong 17 years ago, I was thinking of starting a new performing art here. That is my passion for sharing our Samoan culture to the world,' he said.
Masoe Hogan Toomalatai says he started fire knife dancing when he was nine. Photo: Dickson Lee
Toomalatai established Seiileafi Fire Knife Hong Kong in April last year, which offers classes for Polynesian dance and fire knife dance. He said he believed the art would help build participants' confidence and foster cultural exchanges between people with different backgrounds.
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South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Challenger): Bringing Samoan fire knife dancing to Hong Kong
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below: [1] Masoe Hogan Toomalatai is bringing fire knife dancing, a traditional Samoan art form, to Hong Kong. Driven by his love and passion for his culture, Toomalatai teaches children and adults in the city to twirl, nimbly throw sticks and handle flames. [2] Toomalatai, 41, moved from Samoa to Hong Kong in 2007. The island country in the south-central Pacific Ocean has a rich culture, and he is determined to share it as a tribute to his heritage. 'I started fire knife [dancing] when I was nine,' he said. 'Most of my family are entertainers and fire knife performers. We have a dance group.' [3] Toomalatai established Seiileafi Fire Knife Hong Kong in April last year, a school offering Polynesian dance and fire knife dance classes. The fire knife dance is a Samoan performance art that evolved from warrior displays where dancers used flame-bladed knives to showcase their skill and cultural heritage. Polynesian dance encompasses diverse styles across the Pacific islands – including Hawaii and Tahiti – and is characterised by rapid hip movements and expressive gestures. [4] Toomalatai serves as the school's creative director. So far, it has drawn 30 people of different ages and backgrounds to join private sessions and regular classes across the city. His wife, Katrina Dalino, is the school's managing director. She is originally from the Philippines, and they met in Hong Kong. [5] Dalino recalled the initial challenges they faced, particularly misconceptions about the art. 'When you say fire knife dancing, [people] automatically think it's going to be quite dangerous for kids,' she said, noting that the school has strict protocols and thinks of safety not only for children but also for adults. The art form is for everybody and any age group, she said. [6] Dalino also stressed that it was a 'step-by-step' process, and no one could just come in and become a 'fire knife warrior' immediately. 'The most difficult thing for me is to make [people] understand that you do not get in and play fire knife straight away. It takes some time to learn this very beautiful art and for you to master it.' [7] For Dalino and Toomalatai, the bonds they have built with their students over the past year has been the most satisfying part of the experience. When they first started, there was less communication, Dalino said. 'They just saw us as their fire knife-dancing teachers. But now we are very close ... and have different relationships with each and every one of our students. [They are] very special to us,' she said. [8] Toomalatai – who is 185cm tall and weighs 108kg – has had a unique experience. 'You know I'm Samoan. I'm a bit bigger, and I look different. They always think of me as a huge person with tattoos,' he said. 'But they also saw the strength that I have for them. They want to be carried [by me] everywhere.' Source: South China Morning Post, March 29 Questions 1. Why does Toomalatai teach others fire knife dancing, according to paragraphs 1 and 2? 2. The word 'nimbly' in paragraph 1 suggests that fire knife dancing requires … movements. A. heavy, tight and rigid B. quick, precise and graceful C. varying, erratic and sporadic D. none of the above 3. According to paragraph 3, fire knife dance was initially used to … A. demonstrate combat prowess. B. honour ancestral spirits. C. memorialise important ceremonies. D. establish a social hierarchy. 4. In paragraph 5, what is an assumption many people have about fire knife dance? 5. What does 'any age group' in paragraph 5 suggest about the nature of the dance classes at Seiileafi Fire Knife Hong Kong? 6. Find a phrase in paragraph 6 that refers to a 'structured approach to learning over time'. 7. According to paragraph 7, how has the relationship between students and their teachers at the dance school evolved? 8. Based on your understanding of paragraph 8, how might Toomalatai's students initially perceive him, and why? 9. Which section of a lifestyle magazine is this article most likely to appear in? A. language and folklore B. travel and destinations C. pop culture commentary D. performance arts Children learn how to twirl and throw sticks in the air at a fire knife dancing class in Tin Shui Wai. Photo: Dickson Lee Answers 1. Toomalatai wants to preserve and share his culture and pay tribute to his heritage and family, who are entertainers and fire knife performers. (accept all similar answers) 2. B 3. A 4. People usually assume fire knife dancing is too dangerous, especially for children. 5. The classes are designed to be inclusive and accessible to individuals of all ages. 6. a step-by-step process 7. The relationship has evolved from one with limited communication and a purely teacher-student dynamic to one with a close personal connection. (accept all similar answers) 8. Students may have viewed Toomalatai with awe and fear as he is tall, large and has tattoos. 9. D
South China Morning Post
29-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
A Samoan's mission to bring the ancient fire knife dance to Hong Kong
Driven by his love and passion for the Samoan culture, Masoe Hogan Toomalatai is bringing the ancient art of fire knife dancing to Hong Kong by teaching children and adults how to twirl, nimbly throw sticks and handle flames. Advertisement Toomalatai, 41, moved from Samoa, an island country in the south-central Pacific Ocean, to Hong Kong in 2007, where he is committed to sharing his culture as a tribute to his family legacy. 'I started fire knife [dancing] when I was nine. Most of my family are entertainers and fire knife performers. We have a dance group,' he said. 'When I moved to Hong Kong 17 years ago, I was thinking of starting a new performing art here. That is my passion for sharing our Samoan culture to the world,' he said. Masoe Hogan Toomalatai says he started fire knife dancing when he was nine. Photo: Dickson Lee Toomalatai established Seiileafi Fire Knife Hong Kong in April last year, which offers classes for Polynesian dance and fire knife dance. He said he believed the art would help build participants' confidence and foster cultural exchanges between people with different backgrounds.
South China Morning Post
04-12-2024
- South China Morning Post
Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, calls sequel ‘a source of Polynesian pride'
Moana voice actor Auli'i Cravalho discusses auditioning for the iconic role and being a bisexual icon … but what did Eminem have to do with her coming out? Photo: AFP Fame and celebrity The highly anticipated sequel to Disney's beloved Moana is finally out and not even its star, Auli'i Cravalho, the voice of our titular heroine, can keep calm. 'To see a young Wayfinder on screen using traditional techniques, that's a source of Polynesian pride,' she told The Hollywood Reporter at the film's UK premiere, adding, 'That's a piece of indigenous knowledge that comes straight from us.' In an interview with ABC, she said, 'It feels like coming home, getting to play this character again. And I've missed her, truly.' A more mature-looking Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, in a scene from Moana 2. Photo: Disney Moana is not only Disney's first Polynesian princess, but also the first to get aged up. Meanwhile, Cravalho, 24, is the first actress to play a princess as a teenager – she was 15 during production of the original Moana , turning 16 as the film came out. The rising star's life has changed drastically over the last few years. She is currently performing on Broadway, playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and executive producing the live-action Moana . But what do we know about her? Here's what to know. What was Auli'i Cravalho's childhood like? Auli'i Cravalho at the premiere of Moana 2 in Kapolei, Hawaii, last month. Photo: Reuters Born in Kohala, Hawaii, in November 2000, Auli'i Cravalho has Puerto Rican, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Chinese and Irish roots. She was raised by her mother, Puanani Cravalho, after her parents divorced when she was a child. The pair went from occupying a room in a relative's home to living in a one-bedroom flat on benefits. The lack of space meant Cravalho's mother had to sleep on the sofa. What's her educational background? Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the UK premiere of Moana 2 last month, in London. Photo: Invision/AP Cravalho attended an all-Hawaiian boarding school Kamehameha and was a soprano in the glee club. She suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a genetic disorder resulting in overly flexible joints – which made her prone to accidents. To help her daughter's physical development, Mama Cravalho enrolled her in swimming, surfing, water polo and canoeing. Little Auli'i also played the piano, sang in the choir, rode horses, and practised hula dancing and aikido. At school, she took a molecular cell biology course and, in 2021, was accepted to Columbia University for environmental studies. Unfortunately, she lost her seat after deferring admission too many times because she was 'so afraid that if I took a break from [acting] work that the industry would forget about me'. She is close with her mum Auli'i Cravalho was raised by a single mother and has kept a close relationship with her. Photo: @auliicravalho/Instagram Auli'i Cravalho never fails to wax lyrical when speaking about her mother. 'The person who loves me unconditionally and inspires me every day to do my best is my mom,' she told Harper's Bazaar in November 2016. The All Together Now actress even credits her mother for her singing voice. 'She wouldn't give me a pacifier when I was a baby, so I screamed and screamed and screamed, and I developed wonderful lungs,' she told the outlet.
