Vuki Ofa, 15, plays drums in a Tongan ensemble, loves to dance and is active in theater at his church.

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THE WISH: DRUM CLASSES AND A BUS PASS

Dancing to his own beat

vuki Ofa, 15, can't remember when he started dancing. He knows he was little, he says with the corners of his mouth turning up just slightly. But with a mom and dad who are both music lovers, and an older brother who breaks into dance and rap when he hears a good beat, it's hard to recall when it all began.

``When I was little, my dad got me interested,'' says the eighth-grader who lives with his family -- three sisters, a brother and both parents -- in East Palo Alto. One other brother lives in the family's native Hawaii.

``If no one is home, I just put on a CD,'' Vuki says. ``Sometimes I write lyrics to a beat, sometimes I just flow (rap) with the beat, sometimes I move. I clean up the house while I'm dancing.''

Music brings Vuki, an often reserved and quiet teen, out of his shell. If the music director at his church needs someone to demonstrate a song or try out a few lines of a play the youth group is rehearsing, Vuki is the first volunteer. At home, the dancing starts spontaneously if someone puts on music, and it often leads to a family affair.

``We don't talk about it,'' Vuki says, ``but I'll just start moving and I look over at my dad and he's laughing. I like to make my dad laugh.''

Life hasn't been easy for Vuki, who had to leave his previous school and move to the 49ers Academy, an alternative school in East Palo Alto for at-risk students, after some problems arose. He's working hard now and may transfer to a charter school, but for the time being, music provides a positive creative outlet.

Although Vuki has never had professional training, he'd love to try taking some classes now. Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View offers courses in some of the passions he'd like to pursue. A 16-week class ($250) (29A) would expose him to a variety of percussion and rhythmic styles. A bus pass to get him there is $20 per month (29B).

``I like it the most when my baby sister dances with me,'' he says of his 1-year-old sibling. ``She puts on her sunglasses and starts dancing. It makes me happy. If I dance, it brings everybody up.''