Pat Finberg discovered Kauai’s magic in 1969, during a nine-week visit with her mother. She was 15 and, like countless others, fell in love with the island’s beauty, friendly people and relaxed lifestyle.

“My school in New York encouraged travel and allowed me to go,” Finberg said. “I attended Kapaa High School for a semester in my junior year. Mom and I felt so comfortable on Kauai, we knew we had found our new home.”

Three years later, in the dead of winter, they moved to Kauai and immersed themselves in the culture and community.

“I’m driven to support people who are making a positive impact, who stand on integrity and live their passion to perpetuate the Polynesian culture,” said Finberg, who’s been an avid student of hula for 40 years. “Tepairu and Jo Manea, the founders of Heiva i Kauai, and the event’s all-volunteer planning committee, are those kind of people. From the beginning they’ve made sure it’s the real deal.”

Now in its 15th year, the two-day Tahitian dance and drumming competition has featured participants from as far away as Tahiti, Japan, New Caledonia and the Marquesas Islands. Except for the first few years, Finberg has been a member of its committee.

“Heiva i Kauai has two primary goals,” she said. “First, it is committed to promoting and preserving authentic Polynesian traditions. It also provides dancers and musicians of all ages with an opportunity to showcase their talent, develop self-confidence, share their culture and have fun.”

Soloists compete in eight age divisions: The first is for ages 4 to 6, the last for 40 and older.

The group competition is for adult dancers, with the exception of an Amateur/Youth Group category, introduced this year. The new category is for contestants under 18 and those older than 18 who have less than three years of dance experience. The category will enable up-and-coming dancers to hone their talent, gain performing experience and help perpetuate the culture.

“There’s much more to Tahitian dance — actually, any dance — than just the entertainment aspects,” Finberg said. “It builds strength, stamina, coordination, mental acuity and character. It develops discipline, good communication skills and the ability to work well with the others. These are attributes that are also important in everyday life.”

Judging criteria include showmanship, proper pronunciation of lyrics, creativity of choreography, precision of steps and gestures, and quality and appropriateness of costumes and adornments. Non-Polynesian jewelry and artificial flowers and greenery aren’t allowed, so participants turn to nature, incorporating shells, leaves, feathers, flowers, vines, even bark in their colorful, elaborate attire.

“It truly takes a village — many hands — to make costumes that won’t fall apart with rigorous movements,” Finberg said. “They’re often intricate; for example, if you look closely at some of the headdresses, you’ll see they’re made up of hundreds of fresh flowers.”

As they make their costumes, participants learn about the environment; where to find necessary supplies, keeping in mind conservation and sustainability; and the correct way to gather, prepare and fasten materials. It’s painstaking work that requires patience, diligence and teamwork — a process that can last weeks for a time onstage of only two to 10 minutes.

Finberg promises the program on both days will enchant even those who know nothing about Tahitian music and dance. “Heiva i Kauai is a homegrown, grass-roots event,” she said. “It’s the culmination of seven months of planning — 500 people working together to celebrate Polynesian culture and to keep it alive. It’ll be easy to find: Just follow the crowds and the sounds of the toere drums in Kapaa next weekend!”

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.