Tamali’i Polynesian Entertainment began in 1996 as a family luau show in Arizona by Totoe and Aimee Moea'i. They performed locally for birthday parties, weddings, and other celebrations. 5

 

In 2015 their daughter, Gabrielle, and her husband, Dion Ott, opened Tamali'i to be a dance school and currently operate the LLC in Chandler, AZ. They choreograph and teach children and adults various styles of Polynesian dance and incorporate cultural lessons and activities within each course. They prepare annually for their performances at local festivals and still perform for hire. Additionally, Tamali'i has performed at the Island Reggae Festival in San Jose, California, and at the Pure Aloha Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

In 2019, they hosted the first Siva Samoa Workshop of its kind in the states and sponsored Tatau Manaia from Auckland, New Zealand who shared their knowledge, skill, and expertise in the art of Samoan dance and its history. This event was free to anyone that wanted to learn and it was featured on Channel 12 News and went live on ABC Family. From then on, this experience led Tamali'i to continue conducting Siva Samoa (Samoan Dance) workshops. It is one of their favorite projects to embark on, and they enjoy the new fellowship created within the communities they share their passion for Siva with.

 

Dion and Gabrielle firmly believe that Polynesian values, dance, music, art, and song were meant to be passed on. Within Tamali'i, they aim for their students to find identity, connection, faith, family, encouragement, genuine service, and love.