The 20th International Siva Afi Competition will kick off tomorrow, with international competitors vying for the best fire dancer title.
It will be the first time that there will be a women’s category in this year’s event and this is in line with the first day of 16 Days of Activism, and the International Day Against Violence Against Women.
Unique to Samoa, Fire knife dancing is a tradition rooted in the Samoan culture and a means of maintaining Samoan identity with other cultures.
The Siva Afi competition is set to commence tomorrow to 26 November 2022 at the Samoa Tourism Authority cultural village.
The annual competition was established in 2002 and it was created by Lene Leota the founder of the fire-knife dancing group Ailao Club.
The judging panel members are former fire dancers Galumalemana Patrick Rasmussen, Matagofie Kome Feagaimaali and David Galeai, a three-times World Champion of the Polynesian Cultural Centre’s World Fire Knife Championships in Hawaii.
