2006 Marks our 17th Year!

"The INTERNATIONAL ETHNIC DANCE COMPETITIONS" The 17th Annual "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim 2006" Invitational Polynesian / Pacific Rim Dance Competition & Workshops A Division of The International Ethnic Dance Competitions of Canada FOR MORE INFORMATION ON: ENTRIES / SPONSORSHIPS & EVENT TICKETS CONTACT: Paul Latta (604)533-2315 or e-mail: paul@PaulLatta.com Saturday & Sunday, June 3 & 4, 2006 Kinsmen Recreation Centre 5430 - 10th Ave Tsawwassen (Delta), BC

16th ANNUAL "FESTIVAL POLYNESIA / PACIFIC RIM DANCE COMPETITION!"
	Miss Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim 2005!" Jerrica Santos "Miss Spirit of Polynesia 2005!" Kepi Litonjua 3rd Runner Up - Mandy Lam with Director Paul Tavai-Latta Sunday, June 26, 2005
	Miss Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim 2005!" Jerrica Santos
Miss Festival Polynesia Champions!" Jerrica Santos Kepi Litonjua
	"Miss Spirit of Polynesia 2005!" Kepi Litonjua
"Festival Polynesia Judges" 'Uncle' Buddy Carson Paui Ah Koi with Assistant Judges - Loreen Paradis, Tiare Oudil Directors - Brenda Nui, Paul Tavai-Latta and Dancers
June 2005 marked the 16th ANNUAL "FESTIVAL POLYNESIA / PACIFIC RIM DANCE COMPETITION!" ... "Canada's largest & only Authentic All Polynesian Dance Music, Drum & Language Competition" Representing Groups included ... From Alberta! ... "The Rotuma Puamana Polynesian Dancers!" Director - Rina From Richmond, BC - "The Lulu Island Hawaiian Hula Dancers!" Director - Kathleen Hodson From Chilliwack - "Na Hoku Polynesia!" Director - Diane Wolf & Hosted by Hula Halau - Ma'e Ma'e Kapua o Kahala the Polynesian division of the Paul Latta Dance Studios of BC Home of the Paul Tavai-Latta Polynesian Dancers & Co. Director - Paul Tavai-Latta The 'JUDGES CHOICE' Awards! Trophy & Bursary Award Winners!" Best Performance of the Year! Mainstream Division - Debbie Litonjua - 'Vahine Naku' (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Professional Division - Tahitian Aparima - 'Vahine Paumotu / Tiare' - the Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers Best Costume of the Year! Mainstream Division - the Rotuma Polynesian Dancers - 'Tahiti Ote'a' Professional Division - Tahitian Aparima - 'Vahine Paumotu / Tiare' - the Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers Best Stage Presence of the Year Mainstream Division - Debbie Litonjua - 'Vahine Naku' (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Professional Division - Jackie Bessette - 'Pua Ahihi' (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Best Choreography of the Year Mainstream Division - the Rotuma Polynesian Dancers - 'Tahiti Ote'a' Professional Division - Jackie & Michelle Bessette - 'Adventures in Paradise / I Am Hawaii' Best Staging of the Year Mainstream Division - the Rotuma Polynesian Dancers - 'Tahiti Ote'a' Professional Division - Tahitian Aparima - 'Vahine Paumotu / Tiare' - the Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers "Top Novice Dancers of the Year!" Natalie Tchang - (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) "Best Dancers of the Year!" Primary Division: Alexis Rattee (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Youth Division: Not awarded (no one eligible) Teen Division: Camille Macdonald (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Adult Division: Kinoi Tow (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) 40+ Division: Linie Bessette (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Professional / Open Division: Jerrica Santos (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) "Highest Mark of the Year!" Professional Division - Tahitian Aparima - 'Vahine Paumotu / Tiare' - the Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers (100% Perfect Score) "Miss Festival Polynesia of Canada!" 2005 Miss Jerrica Santos (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) "Miss Spirit of Polynesia - 2005!" Miss Debbie Litonjua (Paul Tavai-Latta Dancers) Runner Up - Miss Mandy Lam

15th ANNUAL "FESTIVAL POLYNESIA / PACIFIC RIM" DANCE COMPETITION
	"Miss Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim 2004!" Tasha Conn "Miss Spirit of Polynesia 2004!" Rhea Bessette with Director Paul Tavai-Latta Sunday, June 20, 2004
CONGRATULATIONS! to  "Miss Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim 2004!" Tasha Conn "Miss Spirit of Polynesia 2004!" Rhea Bessette 1st Runner Up - Mandy Lam 2nd Runner Up - Eleyna Gomez
2004 Judges: Aunti Ku'ulei Gumapac& Polynesian Adjudicator Bonnie Lee - Canada - Dance, Theatre, Performance Adjudicator
"Special Congratulations!" To the 5 Grand Prize Top Award Winners of The "Judges Choice" Awards!
"Best Choreography!" "Best Stage Presence!" "Best Costume!" "Best Staging!" "Best Performance!" "Lei Pkake" Tiare Maohi Na Wili Wili Kimoi Tow Tomoko Wada

I.E.D.C, is a non-profit, multicultural annual family event funded by private, corporate sponsors, advertisers and supported, nationally and internationally by ethnic dance schools who compete each year.

These unique Festivals were conceived and created by the Founding Members (Lorri Stroud, Diane Glastetter and Paul Latta) to preserve, perpetuate, promote and present traditional through contemporary, authentic songs, dances, costumes, music and culture of all nations in the most professional, educational, supportive and entertaining ways possible. The I.E.D.C. were created to accomplish all of this - an endeavor which is not matched anywhere else in Canada! Our continuing goal is to present exciting, challenging and fun-filled multicultural expositions for all contestants and judges, family, friends and spectators and to have each contestant perform to the best of their ability, based on their age, amount of training, practice and conviction, always keeping in mind they are not competing so much against others but rather against the stiffest competition of all.... themselves! Teachers routinely enter "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim" to give their students year-end evaluations & examinations of their dance knowledge and performance ability, in addition to competing for awards and prizes.

The first Festival ever to be presented was "Festival Polynesia!" (1981), with 286 entries over 3 days. In 1983, "Festival Polynesia" celebrated Its "Official Grand Opening", extending its welcome for the first time to dancers from all of Canada and the USA. We were honoured to have as our Principal Adjudicator, George Lanakilkekiahiali'i Naope from Hilo, Hawaii, one of America's most respected Hula Masters and founder of the world famous "Merrie Monarch Hula Festival". Since 1981, "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim!" has become one of 'North America's most unique all-Polynesian / Pacific Rim Dance Festivals', representing hundreds of islands and countries which make up Polynesia and the Pacific Rim! with contestants representing China, Japan, The Philippines and Hawaii. We have awarded thousands of Cash Prizes, Honour Certificates, Prize Ribbons, Top Overall Trophies, Championship Medals and Bursaries. In addition, top-award winning contestants have been chosen for movie contracts with Hollywood Pictures, and 5 International Performance and Professional Contract Tours to New Zealand, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Hawaii, Las Vegas and Japan (courtesy of I.E.D.C. and our Sponsors, Hawaii's Outrigger / Ohana Hotels, Lansdowne Shopping Centre and Air New Zealand.) This is an achievement unsurpassed to this day by any other dance festival anywhere!

Today, National Director, Paul Tavai-Latta, B.C. Director, Brenda Prieur, and a committee of dedicated volunteers invite all multicultural ethnic dancers, male and female, of all ages and all levels, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens, from 1st time novice contestants to the finest professionals. EVERYONE is encouraged! EVERYONE is welcome!

Since 1983, I.E.D.C. has hosted over 35 Ethnic Dance Companies, Schools & Groups, as well as Recreational Groups, and Independent Soloists from Greater Vancouver and throughout B.C., Alberta, Washington State, Oregon, California and Hawaii, to participate and to showcase their talents and pride in native cultures through dance!

The 'Best of the Best' are invited to the prestigious invitational 'Honours Performance' encore presentation hosted by Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, BC.

Boasting innovative programming, Solo, Duo / Trio and Group categories, fair age and level classifications including a special "Novice / Recreational" section, highly experienced directors, strict adherence to native authenticity, prestigious Awards (beautiful 'Top Overall Trophies', 'Medals', 'Prize Ribbons', and 'Honour Certificates') and internationally recognized "Titles" including "Best Polynesian Dance Group of the Year!", "Miss Festival Polynesia/Pacific Rim of Canada!" and "Miss Spirit of Polynesia!" I.E.D.C. hosts some of the fittest Adjudicators of Dance, Stage, Theatre, and Entertainment in all of Canada and the USA! Paul, one of the most dedicated supporters of Polynesian culture, travels the Pacific belt annually to scout the finest in Adjudicators and Instructors and has earned international recognition and support of this most special event "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim!" and the prestigious invitational "Honours Performance" and "Miss Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim" are officially recognized and enthusiastically praised locally and internationally by many of the South Pacific's most important cultural development Ministries and are a welcomed event endorsed by Tourism Vancouver.

The "INTERNATIONAL ETHNIC DANCE COMPETITIONS OF CANADA" promise you Festivals to please everyone, year after year!

The International Ethnic Dance Festivals of Canada (I.E.D.C.), including its subsidiary Festivals namely; "Festival Africa and Middle East", "Festival Americana", "Festival Europe", "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim" is fully licensed and protected by all Canadian Copyright Laws. This includes, but is not limited to, the Concept, Rules, Regulations, Logo, Syllabus, Program, Certificate, Prize Ribbon and Trophy Design, and any and all promotional materials. Duplication in any way is strictly prohibited without written consent. Any infringement will result in prosecution.

I.E.D.C. is very proud to host some of North America's finest artists to serve as Adjudicators every year.

Our National Director travels the Pacific belt annually to scout the finest in Adjudicators and Instructions and earning international recognition and support of this most special event. "Festival Polynesia / Pacific Rim!" is officially recognized and enthusiastically praised by many of the Pacific's most important cultural development Ministries and is a welcomed event approved by Tourism Vancouver.

I.E.D.C. always employs 4 to 6 "Official Adjudicators" and "Assistant Adjudicators / Secretaries" for each Festival, to guarantee every contestant and every entry the most fair and accurate evaluation.

The names and a brief biography of all Judges are prominently displayed in the "Official Program" of each Festival for each Provincial Division.

NOTE: Please understand that no one can be versed on all dances of the world. However, the Judges' credentials with respect to training, experience and achievements in the world of dance and entertainment along with years of involvement in the production and promotion of their specialty dance(s) and many other forms of dance and entertainment, ensure quality adjudications. Please respect the very difficult task facing the Judges in adjudicating dances from around the world! Our prestigious Judges, over the many years, have been instructed to, above all, judge each entry as the only one... not to compare it to the next entry but to critique each dance on its own merits.

The Judges are not looking for "ethnic perfection". 99% of all our contestants are not from the countries they are representing - in fact, most are not even from the ethnic background they are studying. However, all share a love for that particular culture and this should be reflected in the conviction they bring to their dancing. The judges will provide as much constructive written and verbal criticism with regard to indigenous cultural, artistic, technical and theatrical details as educational resources and geographic limitations allow.

Teachers are encouraged to create and / or replicate the most authentic dances possible and present them in the truest form, whether traditional or contemporary. The Judges and Executive Committee recognize, however, that this is not Hawaii, Tahiti, China, Guam, etc., and we do not expect the same degree of "perfection" in knowledge, choreography, music source or costuming as one finds at such home-based cultural Festivals as the "Merrie Monarch Hula Festival" in Hawaii, the "Tahiti Fete" in Papeete, Tahiti or the Chinese Arts and Dance Festival in Beijing. But, the students must be encouraged to "research" and follow in the paths of their mentors and better groups all around the world! We are here to learn, to teach, to share our love of Polynesian and Pacific Rim dance and (in spite of competition stress) to have some fun!

The Committee reserves the right to substitute Judges without notice.
There will be time set aside for everyone to meet our distinguished Panel of Judges after each Festival.

14th ANNUAL "FESTIVAL POLYNESIA / PACIFIC RIM" DANCE COMPETITION
	"Top Honour's go to MISS ELEYNA GOMEZ   "Miss Festival Polynesia 2003"
The 2003 Top Overall Champion Grand Prize Winners Miss Eleyna Gomez   "Miss Festival Polynesia 2004!"
"Special Congratulations!" To the 5 Grand Prize Top Award winners of the Prestigious "Judges Choice" Awards!
"Best Choreography!" "Best Stage Presence!" "Best Costume!" "Best Staging!" "Best Performance!" "Tahitian Kapa Medley" Eleyna Gomez "Kahala O Puna" Group Hula 'Au'ana "Ote'a Tahiti" ... Group Tahitian Rhea Bessette 'Ori Tahiti Vahine' Rhea Bessette "Highest Mark of the Festival" 96% for her "Tahitian 'Ori' (Solo)

	"MISS FESTIVAL POLYNESIA OF CANADA!" Eleyna Gomez "MISS SPIRIT OF POLYNESIA!" Rhea Bessette with Festival Founder Paul Latta Awarded 'Live' on stage JUNE 22nd, 2003
1st runner up Angelica Chee 2nd runner up Debbie Litonjua 3rd runner up Jerrica Santos