Preparations for 2020 Polyfest...

Mt Roskill Grammar Tongan group Fiefie night 2020

Preparations are well underway for Polyfest 2020 with high school groups in Auckland gearing up for competitions (and non-comp groups) with songs finely tuned, dance moves and choreography brushed up to it's finest and uniforms with finesse.

Last night my family supported our middle child in her Tongan group's Fiefie (Happy) night where the group performed for their family, school and friends in the school hall. They raised over $8,000 and gifted some to their fine tutor, Mafi.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching her dance on the Tongan stage come next week Friday well the competitions ramp up at the Manukau Sports Bowl. I'll definitely be busy with people from all corners of Auckland swarming into Manukau to view and cheer for their favourite groups.

However, we have also been told to go on standby in case there is an outbreak in Auckland of the coronavirus and the Polyfest is called off, much like the Christchurch shootings of last year, that stopped the Polyfest from proceeding the day after the shootings.

I'm really proud of our middle in joining the Tongan group as the Samoan group is more competitive and demands auditions but the Tongan group is open to all and as our eldest performed in the Tongan group last year, it's becoming a family tradition with our next child following suit.

The other neat thing is that students are also able to gain NCEA National certificate of educational achievement from their dance with many gaining Excellence credits from the time and effort that they have put into perfecting the moves for the dances.

With the Polyfest being the largest Polynesian dance festival in the world kicking off on Wed 18th March (which also happens to be the birthday of our youngest) it's going to be interesting to see if it is called off as a precautionary measure of the virus that's sweeping through China and Europe, and now American.

Only time will tell...