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INstructors
Manarii Gauthier
Manarii Gauthier was born and raised in Tahiti with his Tahitian Mother and French Father and was immersed in 'Ori Tahiti from birth. His mother Christa danced with Coco Hotahota’s troupe, Te Maeva, for over 20 years.
Manarii’s first dance teacher besides his mother, was Makau Foster of Tamariki Poerani, who had also danced for Te Maeva at the same time as his mom.
In school, he first performed at age 5 under the direction of the legendary tane dancer, “Teve”. In 2004, he danced with Makau Foster's troupe Tamariki Poerani, for Heiva i Tahiti; and in 2005, he represented his districtʻs dance group, Teva i Tai, for the 'Best Dancer' contest in Heiva i Tahiti.
His journey to Oʻahu was to play golf at UH Manoa where he graduated with a B.A. While living on Oʻahu, he danced with Te Vai Ura Nui, where he met his wife Nalini and eventually married, started a family and settled on Oʻahu.
In 2005, Manarii won Overall Tane at the Kauaʻi Polynesia Festival. In 2008 and 2009, he choreographed the tane section for the groups that went on to win 1st place overall, Heiva i Honolulu, professional division. He was a performer at Magic of Polynesia from 2007-2015. After founding his own Pupu ʻOri TAHITI MANA in 2011, Manarii won 1st Place Tane from the Polynesian Cultural Center's Tahitian Solo Invitational 2012 as well as Tane Overall at Heiva i Hawaii 2019.
Tahiti Mana won Overall Champion at Heiva i Honolulu in 2014 and Overall at Heiva i Kauaʻi in 2015 and 1st place 5 man ʻOteʻa in 2019 at Heiva i Hawai’i.
In 2015, Manarii was invited to bring a team from Hawai’i to Tahiti to learn about the Tūʻaro Māʻohi (traditional Māʻohi Sports) and now brings a team from Hawaiʻi each July to participate in the Heiva Tūʻaro Māʻohi portion of Heiva i Tahiti and also produces an event on O’ahu celebrating Ancestral games and brings athletes and cultural practitioners together from throughout Te Moana Nui and beyond.
In 2020, 2023, and 2024, Manarii & his wife Nalini brought Tahiti Mana to Aotearoa for cultural exchange. These trips changed their perspective on what their potential and role was as dance practitioners/performers and have led to more collaborative projects that celebrate indigenous music, dance and culture of Oceania. No longer participating heavily in the tourism entertainment scene or the competition arena, opportunities opened up for deeper learning and sharing.
Nalini Gauthier
Nalini Gauthier is deeply passionate about the power of dance as a pathway for individual and community empowerment, while fostering connection to those who came before us through both ancestral heritage and dance lineages. Central to her work is the importance of honoring nature, and creating spaces where joy, meaning, and cultural expression can be experienced through both practice and performance.
In 2011, Nalini stepped into a leadership role as Creative Co-Director, Costume Designer, and Vahine Choreographer and Dance Instructor, supporting her husband, Manarii Gauthier, in the founding of Tahiti Mana.
Since 2022, she has served as an instructor for a 3-credit Tahitian Dance course in the Dance Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she teaches alongside Manarii. Together, they were selected as inaugural Moananuiākea Artists-in-Residence and, in 2025, featured as choreographers in the UHM Mainstage production at Kennedy Theatre.
Nalini credits her primary dance inspiration, Makau Foster, for instilling in her a deep respect for strong foundations, traditional technique, and authentic expression. She is committed to studying the Tahitian language, as well as the legends and histories of the culture, and emphasizes these values in her teaching and in raising her children. For Nalini, being a dancer extends beyond movement—it includes understanding how to cultivate the natural materials for costumes, honoring the subtleties of language, and embracing the responsibility of carrying forward a living tradition. She believes that to be a Tahitian dancer is to remain a lifelong student.
Her training includes classes in Tahiti at Tamariki Poerani Dance School under Makau Foster and her daughter Kohai, along with workshops led by esteemed dancers and cultural practitioners from Tahiti and across the Pacific. She has also been influenced by contemporary Māori dance artist Tiaki Kerei of Aotearoa, whose Movement for Joy approach has expanded her perspective on dance as a tool for healing, grounding, and cultivating joy.
While Nalini is grateful for the many opportunities her ʻOri journey has provided—including championships in group and solo competitions and a professional performance career spanning live shows, television, and music videos—her most meaningful experiences have come from intimate and powerful gatherings with others who share a deep love for the music, dance, and cultures of Tahiti, Aotearoa, Hawaiʻi, Rapa Nui, the Philippines, and beyond.
Alongside her husband and children, Nalini is dedicated to creating more opportunities for collaboration and empowerment among Indigenous artists and visionaries, and to inspiring dancers of all ages to live their fullest lives through the vibrant gift of ʻOri Tahiti.
Tahiti Mana Feti’i
Tahiti Mana was founded in 2011 by Manarii & Nalini but has become the vibrant dance family it is today because of all the talented and passionate individuals who share the love for Tahitian dance and culture.