Deaf dancer at the Merrie Monarch Festival 2015 wrote his life story...

Skyler Tiogangco 

I was born Hearing Impaired and I began wearing hearing aids at 10 months old ... I always loved Music ... My Mother would play the music loud so I could hear and we would dance ... Growing up, kids would always tease me saying, "Deaf Boy, you can't dance you cannot hear the music. But my mom would say "You can hear a little and you can feel the music." So one day I went to watch my friends hula and decided this is something I would like to learn.  I learn by using first my eyes and my Na'ao ... my Heart to feel the music..I love people and I use sign language to talk with my deaf friends and in hula we use our hands to tell a story to everyone. I love dancing and getting a chance to dance in the Merrie Monarch tells me that I can do anything my heart wants to do ... Mahalo and my mother says, "With Jesus, anything is possible. Thank God he has blessed us so much ... And thank you to my Kumu Emery and Aunty Debbie and my family and my friends and Hula brothers for supporting me!!! 

Skyler Tiogangco