Her arms swayed back and forth.

Her head piece stood tall.

Power and grace moved along with her body.

Red paint strokes spread across her tan cheeks.

And a small smile escaped her lips here and then.

Audience members tossed dollar bills towards her. They learned that it was one way to show appreciation for the performance.

Polynesian dances were performed by El Camino College and El Camino College Compton Center, where students from the Pacific Islander Cultural Showcase on the Library Lawn and Student Activities Center Stage on Tuesday, May 25 at 1-2 p.m.

The showcase wrapped up El Camino’s event series in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage month, Greg Toya, director of student development, said.

It aimed to educate attendees on the represented cultures through entertainment Toya said.

Gabi Sukal, 19, English major, started off the showcase with the “Iesu E Komo Man”, a Hawaiian hula dance.

Sukal started dancing because her father, who is Fijian, wanted her to be immersed in Polynesian culture as much as possible she said.

Her boyfriend, Justin Buris, attended the showcase to support Sukal.

Faasaveve Filija, 21, business accounting major, performed the Tauluga, a dance a chief’s daughter would perform in Samoa.

She said it was agreed, upon the club, that she perform the dance, to honor her role as president of the Pacific Islander Club.

Along with Filija’s performance, El Camino and Compton College students performed a Samoan dance together.

Sina Fifita, program assistant for El Camino’s AAPI initiative, helped organize the event.

She said that the audience was small at first and then increased.

“Any support is support regardless. We’re grateful for that,” Fifita said.

Another two other dance solos were performed.

A Tongan dance that included graceful hand movements was performed by Anilupi Finau.

The 18-year-old Tongan and business major said it is common for Polynesian dances to tell a story and the dance she performed told the story of a village in Tonga.

Finua said she was nervous, but once she started the dance she became comfortable.

“I knew what I was doing out there and I knew I was representing my culture,” she said.

Buris, 19, political science and statistics major, said that Gabi and the dancers did an “amazing job”.

“I really enjoyed it,” Buris added. “I really think that more people should be interested in the Polynesian culture, it (has) a really deep history and culture and it really needs more exposure.”