Cultural Ambassador

Riani Pokipala is passionate about Polynesian dance and comes by that interest honestly.

In the 1980s, her parents opened the Spirit of Aloha Luau at Disney’s Polynesian Village. In 1991, they used their skills in traditional South Pacific music and dance to form their own Polyneisnan entertainment company, Lanakila.

Years later, they launched the Wantilan Luau at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.

Pokipala said she was inspired by her parents and their drive to introduce Pacific Island culture to people from around the world. About six years ago, she joined her parents in establishing a small dance company in Panama City Beach. While going to school at Florida State University Panama City, she began managing the new company, which performs at resorts along the Gulf Coast.

“I am very lucky that the career I have right now supplements what I am passionate about and allows me to share my culture with diverse audiences,” Pokipala said.

Jordan Pokipala’s fire dance enthralled an audience at the Holiday Inn Resort in Panama City Beach. Performers managed by Riani Pokipala pay tribute to gods and depict stories from Polynesian culture. Photo by Mike Fender

In 2021, her dance troupe performed in front of students and guests at FSU PC during an Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. A year later, they closed out the campus’s homecoming festival as the grand finale. Both events were huge successes.

Lanakila has been performing abroad since its beginning and in front of celebrity guests such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Wayne Brady and Ellen DeGeneres. Last year, the company was invited on a European military tour, performing at U.S. and NATO military bases in Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.

“It was very special to visit our brave men and women of the Armed Forces and give back to them and their families in the best way we know how,” Pokipala said. “For many of those serving in the military, it was a piece of home away from home, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of the performers to travel to Europe and explore the beauty overseas.”

Pokipala enjoys the chance to share the rich history of Polynesia. Through intricate dances with tightly choreographed movements and traditional chants, the performers honor gods and tell stories of their people and the world around them.

Different regions and island nations in Polynesia each have their own dances, songs and languages, making for a variety of movements and sounds.

Pokipala’s favorite part of performing is engaging audience members on a very personal level. The evening luaus are interactive; people of all ages take the stage to join in the fun.

Riani Pokipala engages children while introducing them to Polynesian rhythms and dances. She takes seriously her role as a representative of Polynesian culture. Photo by Mike Fender

During the summer, Lanakila employs professional entertainers who perform seven nights a week along the Gulf Coast. At other times, members of the Northwest Florida troop travel with performers based in Orlando.

Pokipala, who earned a bachelor’s degree in professional communication at FSU PC, is currently pursuing her master’s. Balancing work with her studies is difficult, she said, but her family and her faith keep her going.

She plans to open a dance studio and grow Lanakila beyond Florida. Her mother continues to perform as a dancer, and her father is the best emcee, musician and singer she knows. She is grateful to her parents for paving the way for her to grow in the entertainment industry.

“I owe all my talents and successes to them,” she said.

➸ DANCE ORIGINS

Before written communication existed, Polynesian cultures preserved memories by recording them as dances.