Malie Letuli is  "flamebearer" of her father's gift and head of the Nifo Oti Club

© Copyright 2003  Nifo Oti Club of American Samoa

The Instructors of the Nifo Oti Club

Daughter of P.C. Letuli, Malie was trained by her father and performed often with him.. Letuli was hesitant to train her, but Malie's determination to learn the knife dance finally convinced him.

Practise, Performance, and Competition Photos. Click on each  picture for a larger view.

Malakai was  taught by both  Paramount Chief Letuli and his daughter Malie. He is ranked among the world's top three junior fireknife dancers

Malakai is one of the last fireknife dancers to be trained by Paramount Chief Letuli. Although he adds modern moves to the dance, he remains true to Letuli's original style.

Nifo Oti Instructors Malie and Malakai lead the students in  drills

Our female warriors, ready for action. Click here to read about the Warrior Princess "Nafanua", as well as other Samoan heroines such as Fonuea and Salofa in "The Turtle and the Shark"

On stage the hard work pays off as two young  performers move in  perfect sync at McDonald's Children's Day.

The three Junior Division  finalists at the 2004 Apia Competition, Jako, Anelu, and Malakai.

Alfonso Lausen, grandson of Paramount Chief Letuli. Must be in the genes.

Malakai's winning form at the 2004 World Fireknife Championship where he came in 2nd place.

Three Nifo Oti Club members who competed at the 2004 Apia Competition with PCC Champion Alex Galea`i

High throws like this  score high points at competition

Nifo Oti girls practise their triple routine during Friday night fire practise

Burns are inevitable, although seldom as artistic as this one.

Eight year old Christopher at practise. Both kids and parents must undergo safety training prior to lighting up.

This is not a trick.....Samoan kids run around on volcanic rock all day and develop tough feet...we call them "umu feet"

Fireknife dancers always come onstage with only the blade side lit - they light the other end by many methods - here we see a hand transfer.To do this, the dancer squeezes the unlit wick to get a bit of gas on his hand, then "pulls" the flame from the other end.

Nifo Oti Club member Niko Wendt at the 2004 PCC Competition..

Warning: Please do not attempt high throws or other competition type moves until you can do them easily unlit. If you are just beginning with fire, use a smaller wick until you get used to the flame and heat. Competition routines  require large wicks and lots of  fuel and most competitors practise an hour to three hours each day . NEVER attempt fire until you understand the risks involved.