Portrait of Tahia Cambet
"I have always danced, as far back as I can remember. Dance is a family story as much as the story of my people. An intangible cultural heritage that has accompanied me all the way to Paris."
"I have always danced, as far back as I can remember. Dance is a family story as much as the story of my people. An intangible cultural heritage that has accompanied me all the way to Paris."
"I have always danced, as far back as I can remember. Dance is a family story as much as the story of my people. An intangible cultural heritage that has accompanied me all the way to Paris."
An art that I respect, not afraid to see it evolve, not afraid to betray it — all of this to grow better with it.
I am Tahitian, I am Parisian, but I am a dancer above all.
By becoming a dance teacher, I was able in my turn to share the lessons I had benefited from. First as a student, at the Tahitian Artistic Conservatory, then as a dancer, from the Grands Ballets de Tahiti to the dancer I am today.
Because pedagogy, like dance, is consolidated over time and is nourished by experience, both from the stage and from life.
It is essential for me to remain curious, to constantly seek to improve myself as a dancer and, by extension, as a dance teacher.
Today, I have the privilege of teaching a community of more than 400 'Ori Addicts'.
400 passionate people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities who, through classes, acquire the fundamentals of 'Ori Tahiti and develop their personalities and self-confidence.
I pay close attention to their progress and draw strength from their gazes. Dance brings us together — it is a cultural heritage I am extremely proud to share. And I am also delighted to embody this link between my students and Polynesia. Because dance is a universal language that dissolves borders.
I am part of a great community that works as much to celebrate the past of this dance as to ensure its future, to watch over its dissemination in respect of its origins.
There are many forms of Ori Tahiti but they all draw from this vital force of the dance, from its spiritual roots, to convey powerful emotions and transcend the audience — in the image of the very first 'Ori Tahiti dancers.
Together, we all strive to celebrate the deeply held values of this dance — values that have crossed the centuries and have never been more relevant.
Those of strong women who embrace their femininity, their fragility as much as their courage.
