A Tribal Christmas
Special to the Times | Nikiana Medansky Gladys Apelu, director and owner of Kilali’s Polynesian Revue, a Mesa dance school, introduces her students before they perform an authentic Polynesian dance at the Christmas Entertainment Night, Toy Drive and Arts and Crafts Sale at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa Dec. 22. Many of the students who danced in the performance are of Native American descent.
Christmas event brings together AZ tribes for night of music, dancing
Special to the Times | Nikiana Medansky
Gladys Apelu, director and owner of Kilali’s Polynesian Revue, a Mesa dance school, introduces her students before they perform an authentic Polynesian dance at the Christmas Entertainment Night, Toy Drive and Arts and Crafts Sale at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa Dec. 22. Many of the students who danced in the performance are of Native American descent.
By Nikiana Medansky
Special to the Times
MESA
Tribes from around Arizona came to the annual Christmas Entertainment Night, Toy Drive, and Arts and Crafts Sale at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa Tuesday, Dec. 22, for last-minute Christmas shopping, music and dancing.
“This is put on so that they (tribes from around Arizona) have a chance to come together and see each other, meet each other, buy from each other, sing with each other, that sort of thing,” said coordinator of the event Loren Tapahe.
The event was sponsored by Arizona Native Scene, with candy bags for the children at the event provided by PACE Pacific Construction Co.
Tapahe said that the event is popular with vendors and the community because they enjoy the entertainment.
This year, Kilali’s Polynesian Revue, a Mesa dance school, brought its students to perform authentic Polynesian dances, and many of the students who danced are of Native American descent. Music came from Miss Indian Arizona and a local group named Artificial Red.
Special to the Times | Nikiana Medansky
Loren Tapahe, coordinator of the event, reads the number of the raffle ticket winning the Angry Birds-themed bike at the Christmas Entertainment Night, Toy Drive and Arts and Crafts Sale at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa Dec. 22. In addition to the bike, there was a Hello Kitty bike, a star quilt and toy trucks for raffle, as well as stuffed animals, bags and DVDs.
Miss Indian Arizona, Miss Indian ASU and Miss Hopi made appearances at the event, as well as Santa Claus, who handed out candy bags to children.
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