Samoan Fire Knife Dancers

The Samoan fire knife dance (or Siva Afi as it is called in Samoa) is more than a popular spectacle that adds sizzle to a Hawaiian luau*. It’s a tradition that has been passed from generation to generation, with each adding a new layer of style, boldness and skill.


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In 1946, Letuli Olo Misilagi was the first man to add fire to the traditional Samoan ailao, or knife dance after he was inspired by a fire eater and a baton twirler in San Francisco. The ailao, a fierce traditional dance that involves the twirling of the nifo oti (war knife), was a pre-war ritual in Samoa used to psyche up warriors.

Today, of course, the Samoan fire knife dance is a power packed performance in Polynesian revues or luaus. There are fire knife dance competitions held throughout the Pacific, including the annual World Fire Knife Dance Competition at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) in Oahu. Each May, competitors from around the world gather on the island’s North Shore to display their fire knife skills. There’s even a Junior World Fire Knife Competition, which spotlights youngsters ranging in ages from 12 to 17.