Carol Leogite, grew up on Raiatea, one of the most beautiful and sacred islands of French Polynesia better known as “Tahiti”. Growing up, she discovered a passion for dancing, ironically started with hip hop and jazz, but ultimately she could not stray away from her Polynesian roots, therefore Tahitian Ori (dance) became her favorite and focus. For over 8 years Carol has been performing professionally around the tri-state area as Lei Pasifika, a performance group created through partnership with Makalina Abalos-Gallagher and Tamara Hernandez-Bejar. They have performed an array of public and private events including Mayor Bloomberg’s Asian Heritage Festival at Gracie Mansion, the opening for the Arts and Dance of Oceania at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hawaiian Airline’s Liberty Challenge, NYC Dance Parade, and many more.
Since 2011, Carol started choreographing her own pieces, maintaining traditional style while adding a touch of intercultural flair influenced by the diversity of New York City. Carol's dedication to Tahitian arts and culture is reflected in her role as the lead choreographer, costume designer, and producer for Lei Pasifika NYC, and Ori Tahiti instructor at Lotus Music and Dance.
Because Carol perceives Ori Tahiti not only as an art form, but as a life style, her enthusiasm is contagious and her goal is to makes this culture accessible for anyone from various backgrounds. Through Lei Pasifika, she is able to leads yearly costume workshops teaching students the techniques of Polynesian crafts and creates educational programs with non-profit organizations such as Lotus Music and Dance to bring a slice of these islands to public schools and senior centers.
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