“It’s really important for our younger ones to always look back to the ancestors, to their roots,” AGGS’ alumni leader Natarlia.
They’ve cemented their place as one of the top schools to beat on the Samoan stage.
With an impressive 31 first place wins, it was only fitting for the Auckland Girls’ Grammar (AGGS) Samoan alumni group to take to the stage to celebrate Polyfest’s 50th anniversary.
Founded in Otara, 1976, Polyfest initially started with only four schools. Fifty years on and it’s become one of the largest Pacific festivals in the world, with over 70 secondary schools participating this year.
The theme is, “Legacy: A treasure handed down.”
For the AGGS Samoan alumni group, part of their legacy is their remarkable record of placing in the top three, 43 times – taking 3rd place 4 times and 2nd place 8 times.
They made their debut in 1977, and in 1978, they secured their first victory, marking the beginning of their record.
One of the 82 alumni members returning to the stage, Fetaui Sio, was part of the group who witnessed it all.
“Well, my gosh, I felt that spirit,” she says.
“We got a bit emotional… it makes you proud to be Samoan.”
Fetaui was a guitarist for the Samoan group for most of her school years and even rose to a leadership role. She returns to the stage to fine tune the performance, reprising her role as the guitarist for the alumni group.
The group have had months of preparations, with 14 members travelling from overseas to join in on the celebration.
Leadership, experience, and commitment were essential, and the group found guidance in leaders like Natarlia Pouli-Lefale.
Natarlia joined the Samoan group in 1989 and became a leader in 1993. She recalls the fierce competition AGGS faced in the early 1990s but also highlights the immense pride that comes with upholding the group’s reputation.
She also holds a record of placing 1st in the Taupou category for three years in a row.
For Natarlia, coming back to perform on the Polyfest stage as the Taupou is a unique experience.
“It’s quite special. I obviously am not as physically fit and limber as I used to be, but you know, I’m proud to do that to show my Samoan culture and just to add my pride to the rest of the group as well,” Natarlia says.
Co-leader, Mandy Siitia Momoisea chimes in with the same excitement.
“I’m proud to be back,” she says.
“Being back on the front lawn; I got growled at, got screamed at. I think at one point, got water thrown at us. And this mū ga la, practising in the sun, we did it all.”
In preparing for this historic performance, the alumni group had to revisit traditional dances and pese (songs), while also embracing innovation. However, with members spanning four decades, creating a performance that celebrates their history and legacy was not an easy task.
“It’s been a really good challenge because it highlights how things have changed,” Natarlia says.
“I can see that a lot of our siva Samoa has added elements of other Polynesian cultures, you know, in their dance.
“But it’s really important for our younger ones to always look back to the ancestors, to their roots, to ensure that they’re staying true to the basic foundation of fa’asamoa and aganu’u.”
Maintaining a balance between honouring traditions and adapting to the times is crucial in preserving our culture for future generations. When Mandy and her team were brainstorming ideas for their performance, they noticed some traditions were slowly being forgotten over time.
“We just realised after doing this project that the se’e [the gliding of the feet in a siva Samoa] is not much used anymore in our AGGS siva, and I’m not too sure why, but we get to bring that back,” Mandy says.
Natarlia adds that the se’e is an original element of the siva Samoa and should be incorporated more in their performances.
“From what I remember, we’re probably the only Pacific island that uses that method of gliding across the stage,” she says.
“For me, it’s still important that we try to stay as true as possible to our aganu’u [culture], to our Fa’a Samoa [Samoan ways]… just looking back to our foundations and making sure that we still incorporate it in our siva today.”
Other elements that have evolved over time is the pace of which the actions and songs are performed.
For Fetaui, she recalls the change being quite significant.
“In the 70s and early 80s, the sāsā [Samoan clap dance] wasn’t as fast as it is now, and all the actions are different from what the girls do now,” she says.
“Pese o le aso [song of the day], I’ve noticed there’s a bit more actions in but back then, we just sit there fiki and po [flick and clap]… but yeah it’s just great to see our culture carrying on, carrying on in our traditions.
“It makes you proud to be Samoan and who we are in our fa’asinomaga, to know where we come from.”
Earlier in the year, the alumni members had the opportunity to meet up with the current AGGS Samoan group on school grounds. This meeting fostered a remarkable connection between the two groups, proving that despite the different eras, the AGGS sisterhood remains strong across generations.
For Mandy, it was a moment of nostalgia and reminiscence.
“It brought back a lot of memories just watching the girls sit there today, and now we’re the ones that have come back to encourage them,” she says.
Alumnus Olivia Taouma-Levy, who joined the AGGS Samoan group from 1990-1992, is grateful to be a part of the celebrations. This unique opportunity allows her to perform on the same stage as her daughters, Asi and Jada, who are in the AGGS 2025 Samoan Group.
“They get to see their mom perform with all her sisters,” Olivia says.
“My girls are so proud of me, but I’m proud of them. And it’s going to be a very emotional day for everybody.”
Asi says sharing the stage with her mum is a special moment.
“She’s always loved Samoan group and really encouraged us to always be close to our culture. And actually seeing her and being able to perform with her is a privilege more than anything.”
And while the spotlight is on the alumni group, the 2025 AGGS Samoan group are gearing up to defend their title. They claimed a clean sweep last year, but this year’s competition promises to be fierce.
For years, AGGS has had a friendly rivalry with McAuley High School – who competes every two years. The two schools are staples on the Samoan stage, with their performances always being one of the highlights of the festival.
McAuley earned a clean sweep in 2023 when AGGS didn’t compete, but this year sees the two schools go head to head for the first time since 2018.
“They’ve been a tough competitor in the past, but I reckon we’ve got it this year,” Jada says.
“We’ve been putting in lots of hours into working and just putting that extra push on girls just to make it through this year.”
Amarante Sititi, the leader of this year’s AGGS Samoan group, says her team are excited to see McAuley perform.
“Everyone knows that they’re really good and are always coming out with a bang,” she says.
“It is a competition, but at the end of the day, everyone is there to express our culture, as well as making our parents and villages proud. So, we can’t wait to see McAuley perform as well as verse against them.”
The alumni group is set to perform on Saturday 5th April to close off the festivities on the Samoan stage. This also marks the end of their 2025 Polyfest journey, but they remain hopeful that their spirit and cultural pride will continue to inspire future generations at AGGS.
