FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A Polynesian dance group in Fresno is being forced to end its 27-year partnership with the City of Fresno.
Hula Ohana of Fresno says the decision means not being able to hold classes at the Mosqueda Center, a place the group has called home since it started.
Thousands of dancers have walked through these doors over the last 27 years to do what they love, so you can imagine the emotional impact this is having.
The group got notification the program would be cut in July, and now they’re finding ways to keep it going.
What started with just 10 participants 27 years ago has grown into a community of more than 2,700 dancers.
Organizer Levi Winebrenner says Hula Ohana of Fresno has become more than just a dance class.
“The name says it all, Hula Ohana, dance family. And it is about family, people coming together, embracing the Polynesian culture,” he said.
But now, that family is being forced to find a new home.
The City of Fresno recently announced it was ending the Multicultural Dance Program — a program that has been part of the Mosqueda Center for 27 years.
“The teachers and instructors that are on the City of Fresno’s payroll got notices after the new fiscal year, July 2, saying their services were no longer needed and we needed to come and collect our belongings,” Winebrenner said.
The program was operated through the City’s Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission.
Tuesday night, members of Hula Ohana showed up to a city meeting, asking why a 27-year partnership ended with an email.
Jessica Tejada, a member of Hula Ohana, says the program has become much more than a recreational class.
“This has never been just another recreation class. It became a multi-generational community where mothers dance beside their daughters, grandmothers beside their children,” she said.
“Director Aguirre and commissioners, regardless of the reasons behind this decision, we believe our families deserve better communication. Twenty-seven years of partnership deserved a conversation, not an email,” said other members of the dance group.
We reached out to the city for answers. The city responded saying PRAC Director Aaron Aguirre would address the issue during the meeting.
Aguirre said the city is evaluating a new approach to the program.
“The City of Fresno acknowledges the questions that have been raised and are evaluating a restructured multicultural dance program and plan to come back in the spring of 2027 with an update on the Multicultural Dance Program,” said Aguirre.
But Winebrenner says they won’t wait for the city.
The group plans to keep dancing, even if it means moving somewhere else.
“It may be in a different place, a different flavor, a little different atmosphere, but we’re gonna keep moving on because we are family,” said Winebrenner.
Levi says the group has secured a temporary building to hold classes, but in terms of a long-term solution, nothing is set yet.
About six people were employed by the City of Fresno under the program, meaning the decision is also impacting their income.