"Not that I knew what choreography was, I was just giving us movement I liked to do."
There his dancing days would have ended in favour of the Massey horticultural degree he was part way into, when he spied an ad for choreographers and dancers to audition for an international dance course in either Melbourne or Wellington.
"I thought I've done a bit of disco, even if it was six years ago, so I should be able to do this. It's a way to get overseas." He applied and was rejected - but not out-of-hand.
"They said if you're interested in dance there's the National Ballet School, so I banged off another application."
When he heard back he was up to his armpits in potting mix on varsity vacation work experience at Sala St's Thermal Nurseries.
When the relevant forms arrived he was horrified to find he needed to supply a picture of himself in black tights and ballet shoes, striking a balletic position he had never heard of.
"I went through the Yellow Pages, found a ballet school out in the wops, did a quick class and asked the teacher to put me in the position they wanted. She thought I was crazy but I managed to memorise it, sent a picture off and a couple of weeks later was invited to audition."
En route to Wellington, Tai sat next to another home town ballet school hopeful - Will Thompson. Both were ballet virgins, a breed not normally accepted into the rarefied world of formally trained dancers, but the Rotorua boys struck it lucky.
"The director, Anne Rowse, was recently back from Europe where she had seen a lot of schools taking on unqualified male dancers. She took on six of us. With short legs and long torso, I was the wrong shape for ballet, so I became a more contemporary-orientated dancer, although ballet remains my favourite technique."
To reflect the direction trainees of Tai's era were taking, the school was renamed the New Zealand School of Dance. He was instrumental in extending the course from two to three years.
"After two years I didn't feel ready to go out into the dance community. That third year was wonderful. We were dancing outside the school, some of our tutors were with TV, and we got to do some amazing shows."
Among them the Gene Kelly-hosted Gotta Dance. We asked and, yes, it was that Gene Kelly.
Post graduation, he danced with the Wellington-based Douglas Wright Company. "Douglas is one of my mentors. He challenged me in every way, mentally, physically, creatively, and still does."
Director of the innovative Limbs company Mary-Jane O'Reilly urged him to join. Tai became integral to it.
"For some reason I became its poster boy, I've no idea why."
That's not false modesty, he genuinely doesn't see himself as anyone special. Those in the know disagree.
Five years on and jobless, he moved to Auckland, joining Les Mills' gym for its jazz-funk dance classes.
"One day I was stretching and the instructor asked me to teach stretch classes."
Invitations came to choreograph hair and fashion shows, dance parties and corporate events. Tai has masterminded opening sequences for All Black tests and he is pivotal to providing Wellington's World of Wearable Arts with its in-your-face wow factor.
Socialising during the mid'90s with mate Neil Iremia, the Samoan floated the idea of establishing a Maori and Pacific Island company. Tai thought it was "the beer talking"; it wasn't. Black Grace was formed, fusing genres.
"Most of the Islanders came from hip-hop and break dancing. People were very keen to see brown boys dancing, a lot thought we were strippers."
On that subject, Tai has spent four years as a life model at Manukau Tech's art school.
Since Black Grace, he has featured in the Atamira Dance Company, specialising in Maori contemporary dance. In 2006, he joined forces with Napier-raised Taane Mete to found the Creative NZ-funded Okareka Dance Company.
Productions can be 2-3 years in the making.
"It takes us that time to achieve the depth, integrity and good quality we employ."
On the personal front, Tai has been engaged eight years. He and acrobat-turned-lighting designer partner Ambrose Hills-Simonson met at a Hero Parade.
They are working together on the Blue Baths cabaret, not that Tai got to see Tuesday's opening night, it clashed with his company's summer school for "youngsters passionate about dance".
"It's great to be passing my knowledge on to the next generation, while simultaneously working on a such an amazing Rotorua show."
Could he be tempted to return?
In a dance step.
"It's home, 2016's already looking likely."
TAIAROA (TAI) ROYAL
Born: Rotorua, 1961
Education: Lynmore
Primary, Rotorua
Intermediate, Lakes High,
Massey University, NZ School
of Dance
Family: Parents the late
Taiaroa and Joyce Royal, two
sisters, one brother;
"hundreds of cuzzies",
partner Ambrose Hills-
Simonson
Interests: Dance, "avid"
orchid collector, landscape
gardening, reading "I love
autobiographies", movies,
cooking
On the Blue Baths
Comedy Cabaret: "Rotorua
people won't know what's hit
them."
Personal philosophy:
"Treat your body with
respect."
