Dancing in the blood
THE famous adage by Martha Graham that ‘dance is the hidden language of the soul and of the body’ rings true for 19-year-old Tomasi Tuidela.
Tuidela who hails from Naqara, Naitasiri with maternal links to Nakelo, Tailevu, was born and raised up in Suva where he lived for most of his life. The young lad got interested in dancing during his teenage years.
“I always loved watching people perform on stage,” he said.
“And I always told myself that if dancers could dance and perform so well, then I could too,” he said.
Being the second eldest out of six siblings, dancing was a love affair in the family. His elder brother was also a professional dancer.
“After completing my Year 12, I got fully involved in dancing.
“In 2021, I joined the Diploma in Dance program at VOU’s Conservatorium of Dance, which opened new doors for me.”
In November last year, Tuidela was one of the 13 students who graduated from the course. Alongside others, he was trained in i-Taukei meke, Bollywood, jazz, hip hop, ballet and contemporary dance forms.
“I was offered by VOU to join their dance group after my graduation and it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
Tuidela said joining helped him understand more about himself and how to express himself better.
“I became more confident about myself and it helped break my inner barriers.
“When I joined the program, I did not have much experience but I managed to grow as a person after completing it.”
He added that one of the most important lessons he learned was to never give up in life.
“There are a lot of opportunities in dancing in Fiji and people only have to make use of those opportunities.
“They need to work hard every day and be prepared. So when an opportunity knocks at your door, you don’t go around preparing yourself, just get ready to give your best performance.”
Mr Tuidela said his future ambition was to travel the world and perform in front of hundreds of people.
“We must always challenge ourselves in life and I, for one, want my dance to become my identity.
“To be successful in life, one has to work hard and follow his or her dreams and be diligent.”
He said dancing made a person feel better, kept one fit and allowed a healthy frame of mind.
“It is very helpful in your old age as well.”
Mr Tuidela currently resides in Nadi.
I became more confident about myself and it helped break my inner barriers. When I joined the program, I did not have much experience but I managed to grow as a person after completing it.
– Tomasi Tuidela –