Jake Tavita is the Kumu Hula (Dance teacher) of Hokulea of Central Oregon. He has been performing with his family for over 30 years. His parents, Novelen and Joseph, grew up dancing and then taught their seven children, passing along the stories of their culture through song and dance. Jake has taught hundreds of students Polynesian dances throughout his time as a teacher, from the rhythmic moves of Tahiti to the gentle flows of the Hula. With the countless students he has taught, there is another reason he is so passionate to teach these dances. The dances of Polynesia keep their history and culture alive. Most of their history is told through music and dance. In Jake’s words “The more people that I teach, the more people learn our history and culture. So, in a way our culture will never die.” And with his own daughter, he is already at work teaching her their history in song and dance. His group, based in Redmond, have performed all across the West Coast. From California to Washington. He hopes to carry on the stories not only through his daughter but also through his students as well. “Dance is poetry in motion. A story told through movement and music.”