Hawaii Dance: Hula
Tahiti Dance
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ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt
Last week, the Kahurangi dancers came to dance for us. They showcased the dances of the islands of Polynesia. First from Tahiti to Hawaii , Samoa and finally to New Zealand. The battery in my camera wasn't strong, sorry for the blurry photos.
The last few photos are the New Zealand Maori dances. The round things are attached to a rope are Pois. The POI was used, many years ago, by the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand to increase their flexibility and strength in their hands and arms as well as improving coordination.
Wahine (female) dancers perform the Maori POI, a dance performed with balls attached to flax strings, swung rhythmically.
The POI dance was originally used by the Maori women for keeping their hands flexible for weaving and by the men for strength and coordination required during battle. POI are also used as a training aid for other ancient weapons like the Mere or Patu (Short club)
KAHURANGI Maori Dance Theatre
Kahurangi (Cloak from Heaven) is New Zealand's only full-time Maori Dance Theatre of professional caliber to maintain a consistent presence in North America for the past thirteen years. Kahurangi was formed in 1983 to provide cultural, recreational, educational and employment opportunities for graduates of Takitimu Performing Arts School, based in Hastings, New Zealand, which has established itself as a pioneer in the field of Maori Performing Arts and was the first tertiary institution to offer a full-time under-graduate degree in Maori Performing Arts. Since 1985, Kahurangi has presented over 2000 performances in New Zealand, Australia, China, Singapore, Mexico, India and Malaysia along with the United States of America and Canada.
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