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Hawaiian Dances
  • Hula is the sacred dance of Hawaiian culture that's performed for religion purposes, mythology, the passing on of their culture, or entertainment. 
    Plants are picked right before performances and made into costume pieces to reciprocate the connection between people and nature.
  • Hula Kahiko is the ancient form of hula and is performed as a ceremony with a chant and percussions.
  • Hula Auana is modern hula, it is less formal and performed with a song or string instruments
Hawaiian Culture 
The foundation of Hawaiin culture is that everything, including the land, the sky, the water, the people, and even non-living things are all connected.
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The land is important and provides everything needed to live. 
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The spirit of Aloha - caring for the environment and the people and animals. Passing on the knowledge of peace, compassion, and responsibility to future generations through dance, art, chants, and music.
Tahitian Culture

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Sacred traditions that tell stories about life, the relationship with nature, and love, are passed down with the culture and dances from generation to generation.
The dances were extremely important and taught at a young age, then practiced every day.
When Tahiti was colonized, much of the culture was lost and the dances were banned.

Tahitian Tattoos (tatau): tattoos are an extremely important part of the culture. They represent social rank and specific symbols relating to the person or their family. 
Tahitian Dance
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Dancing is an expression of life that shows welcoming, celebration, storytelling, and prayer.
  • are accompanied by drums like the pahu, ihara, vivo, or to'ere
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Types of Dances(Ori Tahiti)
  • ÅŒte'a: A fast paced dance that used to only be a men's war dance, but now includes women
  • Aparima: A medium paced dance with a focus on the hands to tell stories
  • Ahuroa: A slow dance, similar to Aparima, with hips moving in a swaying action
Maori Culture
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The Maori people have a large respect for nature, and view family as important.
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They originated in Eastern Polynesia, and journeyed to New Zealand hundreds of years ago, where they currently reside. 
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Maori history has been passed down through songs and stories. Many of the concepts, such as language and culture, has been lost throughout the years due to being banned, but they are starting to be revived. 
Maori Haka and Poi
Dance was a way the Maori people trained their warriors.
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Haka: traditionally used to prepare and unite a group for war. It originally was only performed by men, but now can be performed by both men and women.
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Poi: a dance were poi balls are attached to ropes and are rhythmically swung around. It increases coordination, strength, and flexibility in the hands, and can be used as a weapon in battle.
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