The competition continues tomorrow where the field will narrow to the top three finalists who will vie for the right to claim that he is the fireknife champion of the world. The top three will compete for the championship Saturday night, May 14, in the PCC’s Pacific Theater during the intermission of the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Horizons night show. The scores from each performance will be combined for the winning score, which will be announced at the end of the 8 p.m. show.

Before these nine competitors take the stage, junior fireknife dancers as young as five years old will showcase their skills in the Junior World Fireknife Championships starting at 7:45 p.m. in the Hale Aloha Theater.
The 6-11 year olds will have six competitors, while 15 challengers will compete in the 12-17 year old category.

In addition to the competition, there will also be an exhibition of duo fireknife dancers. The synchronized duet of knife dancing is a tandem demonstration of precision at its best.

Sponsored by Coca-Cola, Cirque du Soleil, Electric Pencil, Hawaiian Airlines, Henry S. Mataalii & Company, Turtle Bay Resort, and the PCC, this annual competition draws spectators from around the world.

Tickets for tomorrow night’s competition for kama’aina are $8 for adults,
$6 for children ages 3-11. Seats are almost sold out for the finals tomorrow night. Tickets for the finals are $36 for adults and $25 for children ages 3-11. Call 293-3333 to make reservations. Visit the PCC website at www.polynesia.com for updates on the results of the 13th Annual World Fireknife Dance Competition.

Since its beginning in 1963, the Polynesian Cultural Center has entertained more than 31 million visitors by preserving the spirit, culture and people of Polynesia. This week, all guests are invited to attend the Fireknife Competition and even learn the ancient art of fireknife dancing during free, on-site seminars.

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