Odgerel Ganbaatar said he found his passion for fire knife dancing while studying at BYU–Hawaii. He shared how he worked hard to become a fire knife dancer at the Polynesian Culture Center, and after his graduation, he returned home and later created his own crew, which has performed in many different events, including the Mongolian National Holiday Parade.
David Tiave, a senior manager of the “Hā: Breath of Life” evening show at the Polynesian Cultural Center, said Ganbaatar has a Polynesian spirit and heart despite not being Polynesian because of his love and passion for fire knife dance.
Fire knife beginnings
Ganbaatar said his first job as the dancers’ wardrobe organizer gave him the opportunity to watch fire knife dancers a lot and he was amazed by their skill.
He developed a strong interest in fire knife dancing and dedicated many hours of practice to learning. Despite having an unsuccessful first audition to become a fire knife dancer due to his low weight, Ganbaatar said he did not give up and he continued to work hard to gain weight and audition again.
Ganbaatar said when he tried to audition a second time, even though his dancing skills were good, he failed his second audition because of the neutral face expression he maintained during his performance. Determined, Ganbaatar continued practicing to become an authentic Polynesian fire knife dancer in every way.
After his third audition, Ganbaatar found success and became the very first Mongolian fire knife dancer in the history of the PCC and Mongolia.
Sam Moe, a manager of the Canoe Show at the PCC, commented on Ganbaatar’s development in fire knife dancing. “I was surprised when he transferred from the wardrobe [position] to a dancer. I saw him many times twirling with practice knives. He learned quickly and became a fire knife dancer. Ganbaatar did it almost every night because he loved it.”
Dancing with fire is a tough job, especially for non-Polynesians, according to Tiave. “[Ganbaatar] worked harder than anybody to achieve this success. We transferred him because he could pass as a Polynesian because he was tall, muscular, handsome, and very skillful doing the fire knife dance. He was also very respectful of Polynesian cultures. When he was working here, he performed in the King Kamehameha Day Parade in Honolulu in 2015.”
Taking the fire knife dance to Mongolia
After graduating, Ganbaatar took what he had learned from his days at the PCC to Mongolia. He created his own fire knife dancing crew, Ahi, and trained his crew members. His crew members are his brother, Odbayar Ganbaatar, his friend, Tamiraa Ganbold, and Gankhuyag Tsogoo, an alumnus of BYUH.
Odbayar Ganbaatar, Odgerel’s Ganbaatar’s younger brother, explained when his brother came back from Hawaii, he proposed the idea of creating a fire knife crew. “First, six of us started practicing, but eventually, two guys gave up. We participated in many big shows and events.
“In the beginning, people were scared, but after our performance, audiences began to express their emotions through a loud round of applause. One of my dreams is to go to Hawaii and dance with real Polynesian fire knife dancers. I even got a Polynesian tribal tattoo on my shoulder.”
The Ahi crew introduced fire knife dancing to the people in Mongolia. Several TV stations became interested in them and did broadcasting segments on them. They performed their fire knife dancing at many events by invitation and shared the Polynesian culture with Mongolians, according to Odgerel Ganbaatar.
“I watched his crew dance. I’m so proud of him and [send my] love and blessings to him for what he has done,” Tiave said.
Ganbaatar’s former supervisor David Galea’i said he is the leader of the fire knife section for the evening show, and Ganbaatar auditioned for him.
“He was the very first Mongolian I have worked with dancing fire knife. He actually shocked me at how fast he learned the art of Siva Afi. He is a hard worker, and I am happy he continues to share the love of Siva Afi with his people.”
The Ahi fire knife dance crew
Tsogoo said he had a mission friend who was from Samoa and he heard about fire knife dance from him first. While he was studying here at BYUH, he practiced and learned fire knife dance.
Tsogoo said, “It’s really hard to be good at fire knife dance. You have to practice every day if you want to become good at it. There is something special about dancing with fire. We have performed in many events, but the biggest one was the National Holiday Parade. People are usually blown away by it. They love it.”
Ganbold said, “Odgerel taught me how to do fire knife dance, and it was very interesting for me. I started practicing with a practice stick at home. Sometimes, I needed to practice outside because my home does not have the necessary space. It feels so amazing to do it together with my crew members.
“People are always amazed when we perform. The only problem is we couldn’t find the naphtha gas, which makes the fire big and bright in Mongolia, so our fires are smaller and not bright enough.”
Leaving a legacy
Lia Pooi, a secretary of the Theatre Department of the PCC, said she remembers being amazed by one fair-skinned fire knife dancer before she started working at PCC. “He was standing out from the others by his appearance and skills. Later on, I started dancing at the evening show and heard about him a lot from other dancers.
“Ganbaatar came back in 2017 and danced for a few nights at the evening show. Everyone was admiring him and were talking that he was the only Mongolian who ever danced at the evening show.
“Up until now, dancers talk about his example of dedication. He could have been rejected, just like the hundreds of others. But he was willing to learn and didn’t give up on it. I know how hard it is to learn the fire knife dance. It takes lots of time and practice. He is a great example of hard work and dedication for us, especially as someone who is not part of the culture.”
Brandon Sparks, a supervisor of the stage crew of the evening show and friend of Ganbaatar, shared, “We used to play basketball together a lot. We were in the evening show team that won the PCC basketball tournament in 2011. I used to see him practicing fire knife a lot, so it did not shock me much when he transferred to dance.
“I have four Mongolian employees now and heard from them that Ganbaatar started his own crew. As a Samoan, I am glad that fire knife dance is spreading in Mongolia. It is amazing that someone from another culture loves and respects it that much. All the soloist fire knife dancers who were dancing with him are still here. I am sure he would love to talk with them and remember the good memories together.”
Odgerel Ganbaatar explained how studying at BYUH and working at the PCC were amazing experiences that blessed his life in many ways. He majored in supply chain management and graduated in 2014. Currently, he lives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with his wife and three children.
His wife, Batchimeg Bukhchuluun, is also an alumna of BYUH. Now, Odgerel Ganbaatar works in a Mongolian copper, gold and diamond mining company, Oyu Tolgoi, as a mine control supervisor while serving as a bishop of the Bayanzurkh Ward in the Ulaanbaatar East Stake.