History
MANIO RADFORD, LOVER OF TAHITIAN DANCE AND CULTURE
Founder and director of Te Fare O Tamatoa
Merlyna Tahutini Mahuru ‘Manio’ Radford’s grandmother was Princess Popoa Mahuru, of royal Tapoa-Tamatoa lineage of Bora-Bora and Raiatea. These northern islands of the Society Islands are both the traditional seat of Polynesian power and the starting point of transpacific migrations referenced in the earliest chants and songs of Tahitian and Maori oral history and as written down by early European missionaries (and published with help from Honolulu’s Bishop Museum by Teuira Henry and Sir Peter ‘Te Rangi Hiroa’ Buck).
Manio Radford studied dance and theater with her aunts, Princess Mareta ‘Miri’ Rei and Protea Tahutini. She has translated into dance the traditional songs and chants published by Tetuira Henry. She has taught traditional Tahitian dance, choreography and costume design in the Seattle area since 1964, and has trained 3 generations of family and friends to appreciate and dance the authentic culture of her birth islands, known worldwide as Tahiti. She created and involved family in several not for profit organizations, including Friends of Tahiti, Mana, and Te Fare o Tamatoa. These organizations have assisted the islands with medical supplies and raised money and awareness for the education of youth both in the Seattle area and in Tahiti. Manio is especially proud of her granddaughter Nanave Radford, who has become a fine instructor and choreographer of Tahitian dance.