ABOUT TAMSIN

Tamsin is a lifelong dancer. She formally started studying dance at age 3 with RAD and ISTD ballet, tap and modern theatre, progressing through examinations and all kinds of performances until age 18, with digressions into English folk dance and morris/molly at school and in the local community. At university, morris dance was life (Yare Valley Morris). She was a member of and substitute teacher for the
Contemporary Dance Society alongside ongoing ballet classes.

Who knew Germany was a hub for hula dance? Not Tamsin, until 2001 when she stumbled on a Hawaiian hula workshop at an adult education centre. Still picking up whatever dance classes were available (ballet, jazz, contact improvisation with the amazing Keriac, early European dance, contemporary), that first experience of hula kahiko and hula auana soon turned into an immersive study beyond choreography. Mainly through the occasional workshop, imported video tapes and books, Tamsin continued to explore hula and Hawaiʻi by way of its language, music and culture, particularly the art of lei making.

On her return to the UK in 2005, there were no hula teachers so she headed in the direction of bellydance with its similarly strong and supportive community. Although she started with raqs sharqi, locally and travelling to workshops and festivals with national and international experts, Tamsin’s broad dance experience and musical geekery nudged her towards fusion bellydance, especially dark/gothic styles.
She is still in love with all things dum-tek and ran her own troupe
(Black Lotus Fusion), and has represented Hawaiian dance at the UK’s much-loved Fantasia bellydance festival, Arabesque Nights, and more informal events such as Ahnémon’s hafla.

In late 2005, she missed hula too much and formed Hawaiian Hula UK to start sharing hula through performances and presentations around the UK and Europe. She has entertained at international corporate events, including for the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority in Europe, and has introduced hula to KS1/KS2 primary school pupils, Girl Guides, at school summer fairs and after-school groups, senior care facilities, local community events and charity fundraisers, and a diverse array of tropical- and Hawaiʻi-themed private parties and shows.
Since 2019, she has been thrilled to share hula & oli at the long-standing Dance Around The World festival held in London’s Cecil Sharp House.

Tamsin’s hula learning has been primarily with or adjacent to Kumu Hula Rich Pedrina of
Hālau Hula ʻO Nāpunaheleonāpua since 2006, with a brief but wonderful period dancing in a hālau in Munich affiliated with Kumu Nalani Keale. Workshops with Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole, Kekuhi Kanahele, Taupōuri Tangarō, Mark Hoʻomalu, Kaulu Amaral, Kealiʻi Reichel, Kuana Torres, Kanoe Miller, Kealiʻi Ceballos, Pōhai Souza, Kalani Akana and other generous experts have provided additional inspiration and guidance as she continues along this hula journey.

To keep up her own training, Tamsin travelled frequently to mainland Europe to learn with visiting kumu hula and their affiliated groups. She is proud to be part of a small but growing community of students and trainee teachers in Europe under the guidance of Kumu Hula Rich Pedrina, and has her sights set on visiting Hawaiʻi as soon as possible!

In 2019, Tamsin was honoured to host Kumu’s first ever workshops in London and was thrilled to welcome him back in February 2023!

When COVID-19 struck, Hawaiian Hula UK moved online, joining fellow students around the world to learn direct from Kumu Hula Rich Pedrina through Zoom. Since the pandemic, HHUK also meets up to practice together in person as often as possible.

Tamsin is a long-time member of the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) and One Dance UK, through which she holds full public and professional liability insurance as a dance teacher. In 2021 she reignited her passion for ballet training by becoming a certified instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT).

Alongside her hula sisters, and thanks to unceasing hard work, support and aloha from Kumu Hula Rich Pedrina, our alakaʻi and global hula ʻohana, Tamsin was thrilled to be part of the team participating in Hula ʻOni E Europe 2023 in Vienna. Not only was the hālau honoured with 1st place in wahine group ʻauana and wahine group kahiko, the ʻōlelo award and 1st overall, Tamsin now holds the title of Miss Hula ʻOni E Europe 2023.