I'm Gabriel Brenner and I'm an artist, musician, and dancer currently based in Norwalk, California. My family and I have been involved in the 'Ori Tahiti (traditional Tahitian dance) community in Southern California since I was born (1995!). My sisters grew up as the main 'Ori Tahiti dancers in my family, while I focused my energy on being a cheerleader/support system for many dancers, and later on, supporting various pupu 'ori (dance groups) in their projects as a singer and musician. I danced for a few years as a child, but I truly discovered my passion for dance when I returned to it as an adult in April 2024 with the pupu 'ori Te Varua 'Ori based in Buena Park, CA. Through 'Ori Tahiti, I am learning and understanding my body in a way I never have prior, and I have deepened my connection to a people and culture that have welcomed me with open arms since the start of my journey within the 'Ori Tahiti community. I have quickly grown in my abilities as a practitioner of 'Ori Tahiti, too. I have had the opportunity to study culture, music, and dance in Tahiti yearly since 2023, and as a competitive soloist, have placed top 3 in my age categories in several solo competitions I've entered in both the U.S. and Tahiti since 2025.

At the end of 2025, the opportunity of a lifetime was extended to me – to participate as a dancer in Heiva i Tahiti 2026 with the pupu 'ori O Tahiti E. Heiva i Tahiti as we know it today began in 1881, and is a yearly cultural festival and competition in the islands of Tahiti celebrated through craft, sport, music, dance, and other various festivities. O Tahiti E is a world-renowned pupu 'ori that was created in 1986 by Marguerite Lai, and they have been a mainstay at Heiva i Tahiti since their inception, winning as a group several times in the 40 years since their founding. Very few international participants are allowed to participate in Heiva i Tahiti yearly (currently only 10 are allowed per group), so it is an immense honor to be extended an invite to do so, one that I cannot say no to.

In order to make this dream opportunity become a lived reality, I will need as much support from my family, friends, and wider 'Ori Tahiti community as I can realistically ask of you all. While this opportunity is, again, so very hard to say no to, it is also a very difficult, very costly yes. I will have to be in Tahiti from April 15 through to the end of July in order to train, prepare, and perform with O Tahiti E for their Heiva i Tahiti 2026 presentation. I will need to apply for a visa to stay in Tahiti for that amount of time, and will have to cover the costs of travel, boarding, rental vehicle(s), food, international health insurance, international phone service, supplies for 'Ori Tahiti costume-making, and many, many other expenses. These costs are all in addition to all usual financial obligations here at home that I will also have to continue to cover while I am out of the country.

With all of this, as well as my own current finances, in mind, I am asking for my community's help in reaching my fundraising goal of $10,000 by the end of March. I understand that this is quite the lofty goal in such a short amount of time, and also understand that this is a massive ask while many of us have to manage our own rising financial strains here at home. I also understand that it will be an immense privilege for me to be able to live out a very expensive dream of mine at this particular point in time, but I would live with deep spiritual regret if I did not try as hard as I could to make this opportunity a reality.

Being able to participate in Heiva i Tahiti with O Tahiti E will further deepen my connection to, and understanding of, the practice and history of 'Ori Tahiti, the Maohi people, and the wider culture of Tahiti, a culture and people that have deeply informed and shaped my own personhood from the very beginning. This experience will challenge me physically, emotionally, and mentally as a dancer in ways I never have been, and it will guide me into the next chapters of my journey as an 'Ori Tahiti dancer and community member, rooted directly in the culture, the history, and the lessons of the fenua (island of Tahiti). I also hope to share the knowledge and experience I will gain from participating in Heiva i Tahiti with the members of my own home pupu 'ori Te Varua 'Ori, as a way to enrich their own foundational connections to the culture we all have been welcomed to participate in as outsiders.

I want to thank you all for your time, and thank you in advance for any and all support you may extend to me while I embark down this particular path of my journey, whether that support is financially or otherwise. Māuruuru roa!

With love,

Gabe