French Polynesian Dance
French Polynesian Dance
Young performers doing traditional Tahitian dances.
French Polynesia is a group of islands in the South Pacific including Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.
The population of the entire region is about 300,000 people and among them are very talented, young polynesian dancers.
French is the main language spoken on these islands, but English is widely known since their main industry is tourism, so when you visit Tahiti and the other islands, you will be able to communicate with many of the locals even if you don't speak French (but it is always good to learn more than one language!).
It is said that the materials that make the various drums and drum skins may vary between islands and certainly between more distant South Pacific regions. This difference may change the tone of the instrument, so the sound may be unique to a particular region just based on the materials used in building their local drums. The tōʻere for example is a horizontal wooden log with a slit going down the middle that is played with either one or two sticks.
Unlike a western drum set, Polynesian rhythms are made by various hand-held drums and percussion instruments. When played together, the group provides the distinct rhythms for the dancers.
One traditional dance of the region is the "otea" where dancers stand in different rows. Unlike the hula dance, this style has faster hip movements. Both men (tāne) and women (vahine) perform this dance style.
Another dance step is the
hivinau where a circle of men and circle of women rotate around the musicians and when two of them meet they shout "Hiri, haʻa, haʻa" and break out into a greeting dance move.