Tongan Dancing
About Tonga > Culture > Tongan Dancing
Dancing is still very much a traditional affair and an important part of the culture of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Dancing in the Kingdom of Tonga is an art in which the movement is a visual extension and enhancement of sung poetry based on complex arm movements. The dance movements helped to achieve a more profound understanding of the text.
Unlike the vigorous tamure of Tahiti and the Cook Islands or the swaying hula of Hawaii, dancing in the Kingdom of Tonga is a dignified, graceful portrayal of the choreographer’s art. Another characteristics of Tongan dancing is the importance of two kinds of hand clapping each of which is named – a flat high pitched (called pasi in Tongan) and a cross clap with cupped hands which emits a lower hollow sound (fu).
The main dance forms in the Kingdom of Tonga are:
1. Lakalaka
2. Me’etu’upaki
3. ‘Otuhaka
4. Ma’ulu’ulu
5. Ula
6. Tau’olunga
7. Kailao
8. Soke
Lakalaka
The Lakalaka is much more than just a dance. The Lakalaka’s international status has ranked it alongside the great monuments of mankind such as the Acropolis in Athens, the Pyramids in Egypt and the Statue of Liberty in New York. Strict criteria result in only the world’s most spectacular and extraordinary sites making it onto the UN World Heritage lists. These famous sites are on the “tangible” list, where as the Lakalaka is on the “intangible” list. In 2003, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed “The Lakalaka, Dances and Sung Speeches of Tonga” as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” or for short a “Masterpiece of Humanity”.
Practised by communities throughout the islands, the Lakalaka features themes related to Tongan history, legends, values and social structures.
Lakalaka is a dance that accompanies poetry and the leg movements are basically a walk that moves one step to the left then one step to the right and occasionally forward and back. The arm movements are graceful and intricate, deriving their distinctive character from the rotations of the lower arm. The lakalaka is usually performed by men and women of a village, standing facing the audience.
The men stand on the right side (from observer’s point of view) and women stand on the left hand side. The order they stand is determined by social status. The person standing in the middle of the front row on the division line between the two genders are known as the vahenga (central performer). The vahenga is always a person of high rank who is associated with the dancers and is usually dressed differently from the rest of the dancers. The two last positions that is the one at the very end of the front row (both side), the fakapotu are also reserved for high ranking persons. The second positions, beside the vahenga are known as ta’ofi vahenga and are for the next ranking persons. The third positions are reserved for the best dancer or performer (the malie taha) of the male and female group respectively. The rest of the positions can be filled up as the dance master sees best.
The only time that a prince or princess can participate as the vahenga is when the king is the guest of honour like his birthday. One cannot pay homage to someone lower in rank therefore people higher in rank than the guest of honour at a particular celebration cannot perform.
The normal dress of the dancers is as formal as the dance, either a white or black tupenu with shirt and a ta’ovala, although this may be largely covered by a sisi (an ornamental girdle of leaves and fragrant flowers) and/or a manafau (a grassskirt) made from the fibre of the fau tree (hibiscus tiliaceus). In addition anklets, wristlets and neck garlands are worn too. Also worn is a tekiteki (a little bunch of chicken feathers stuck in the hair). For the women the feathers are usually glued to one or two small sticks, pointing up, while for the men it is a soft cluster of feathers hanging down. Wearing of the tekiteki enhances the head nods (teki) they make from time to time on the beat of the music. A proper teki is considered as one of the most important actions in order to be classified as a good dancer.
View UNESCO’s video about the Lakalaka below.
Me’etu’upaki
Me’etu’upaki translates as dance (me’e) standing (tu’u) with paddles (paki) thus the name describes the dance. Me’etu’upaki is divided temporally into several sections or stanzas. Each stanza is repeated at least once, but usually two or more times. Each stanza ends with a shout Tu and there is a short pause before the next stanza begins.
When performing, dancers sometimes move as one group or they may split up into two or three groups. While performing a number of expert turns and twirls of the paki, they rearrange themselves so skillfully that one must observe several performances to see how each person’s movements brings him to his new position.
The performers accompany their movements with singing. A chorus of men usually sings with the dancers, with one or more musicians keeping time on hollow log songs. Most of the movements are very graceful and Tongans consider this a characteristic of the dance. The principal foot movements are steps in one place, small steps around in a circle, side steps, small jumps and the crossing of one foot in front of the other, pointing the toe and passively touching it to the ground.
‘Otuhaka
‘Otuhaka is an ancient dance which means row of movements is a traditional Tongan group dance.. Performers which are usually women or girls are seated and interpret words of poetry with their movements. The interpretation however is allusive rather than realistic.
Originally the ‘otuhaka was performed by older, chiefly ladies only, who were supposed to be too old to stand. Very often a ‘otuhaka was followed by an ula performed by their (standing) daughters or any young, chiefly ladies. Nowadays the ‘otuhaka can be performed by men and women of any rank. Yet every dance master who is conducting this dance has a different version which he will claim is the right one from ancient times.
In many cases the poetry and movements, which have been perpetuated through oral tradition for many generations, are no longer understood. The poetry recounts legends of creation, feats of the gods, exploits of the chiefs and historical episodes.
Ma’ulu’ulu
The ma’ulu’ulu is a traditional Tongan dance, performed by a group of seated men and women; the dance form is a direct successor of the ancient Tongan ‘otuhaka.
The performers sit down in a row on the ground, crosslegged, usually the right leg over the left. If possible men and women alternate. To the left and/or right is/are the nafa behind them stand the langitu’a (singers). On informal occasions the dance master may walk around, clapping his hands to keep up the rhythm and to encourage the performers. On formal occasions, like a presentation to the king, the dance master also stands in the back.
If there are many dancers, often the case when a school performs, up to 500 at a really huge occasion, they sit in staggered rows. The dancers in the front row (which gets the most attention and therefore sits the best dancers or the ones with the highest social status) sit on the ground, the second row on a low bench, the next row on a higher bench, and so forth. The last row usually stands, or if that is still not enough, they may stand on benches and tables.
Like the ‘otuhaka, the ma’ulu’ulu consists usually of a sung and a silent part. It starts with the beating of the nafa, (huge drums made from discarded 200 litre, iron, fuel drums, covered with a leather skin). The nafa-master can make a whole show of it, hitting the drums with his two decorated sticks almost performing a dance himself.
The second part conveys the poetry in song and movement. Like all other Tongan dances, the gestures do have some relationship with the words. The lyrics of the song are usually made for the occasion, a silver jubilee of a school, a birthday of the king, and so on.
A ma’ulu’ulu takes around 15 minutes to complete. But it may have taken the performers 2 or 3 months to memorise the sequence of gestures.
Ula
Ula is another ancient dance which is closely related to the ‘otuhaka. Ula is a standing dance performed by women, usually young and beautiful.
It is also known as faha’i-ula (split dance). The name split dance comes from the habit that the performers split up in two (or more) groups, one entering the stage from the left, the other from the right, until the two meet in the centre and merge into one or more rows.
The dance movements are in essence very simple and limited. Most of the work, making supple, beautiful posures, is done by the hands and the head. The body remains quite stiff, and except for an occasional step or a kneeling, the legs are not much used either.
Dancers of ula are chosen because of their skills in dancing, in contrast with the lakalaka, and ma’ulu’ulu in which dancers are placed according to social status. The dress of the girls is like that of the tau’olunga but the red and black is the usual colour for the costume.
Tau’olunga
The tau’olunga is the solo dance, although it is sometimes performed by groups of up to six dancers. This is the shining hour for the performer with glistening body oiled with coconut oil, hair flowing free and elaborate costume. Only the prettiest and most skilled girls perform this dance. The tau’olunga is always danced according to the words of the song which accompanies the dance, thus if one observes closely one can see when the dancer is depicting a sunrise, flowers worn in the ear or a lover departing.
While the dance is being performed, a young man can assist the dance girl by mimicking their movements in an exaggerated and clownesque way, which is supposed to draw attention to the beauty and skills of the performer. This role is called the tu’ulafale.
A tau’olunga girl is usually dressed in a wrap around dress, either made from ngatu with traditional designs, or a mat (kie) from handwoven pandanus leaves, or a piece of cloth covered with green leaves, grass, fragrant flowers or shells, or any shiny piece of cloth, still decorated with sewn-on traditional patterns, or even a grass skirt. Every type of costume (teunga) has its own proper name. The dress reaches from just above the breasts down to the knees, leaving her arms and legs bare. As long skirts are the traditional apparel for Tongan girls, this is an occasion to show off her shapely legs. If they are fair the better. Putting oil on her expose skin so that they shine will enhance her beauty even more in the Tongan mind. Around her middle she wears a belt (sisi) also usually made from leaves and fragrant flowers. Wristlets and anklets (vesa) may be worn, ranging from simple bands of cloth or ngatu to elaborate belts of leaves and flowers again. Around her neck she wears a black ribbon with a white cowry shell on it (pule’oto). In practice, no girl ever does it without shell. On her head she wears a little crown (tekiteki), which will enhance her head movements during the dance, consisting of feathers or some light plant material. The more natural materials are used for her whole dress the better it is. Unfortunately plastic is slowly making its inroads nowadays.
Kailao
Kailao is a dance of foreign origin (from ‘Uvea – Wallis) and is a standing dance usually performed by men only.
The dancers, of which there can be any number, wear fanciful constumes including hats decorated with crepe paper and anle rattles made of large seed called vesa pa’anga. The men, bearing stylized clubs (pate kailao), dance in a fierce manner that emulates fighting, all to the accompaniment of a beaten slit drum or a tin box, which sets the tempo. Unlike most other Tongan dances, the kailao is performed without singing. The sequences of movements to be performed by the group are called by the lead dancer, who will give the name of the sequence, then will signal when to do it. The dance displays the dancers’ discipline, obedience and skill with their weapon.
Soke
Soke is a Tongan group dance performed with sticks which the performers hit against each other on the beat of the drum. As with most Tongan dances, the whole performance is to dazzle the spectators and to please the chiefs.
It is performed by both men and women. Each of the men have one long stick, about 2 meters, both women carry short sticks, about 40 cm, one in each hand. Occasionally this assignment is exchanged. On the beat of the music they hit the sticks against each other in a repeating pattern.
In the first movement, for example, the woman to the left (or right) hits with her right stick the top of the stick of the man to the right (or left), then her left stick against his on the bottom, and then her right on his top again, while on the fourth beat they turn around to prepare for the next movement. The last hit can be done with her left stick again, while he quickly turns over his whole stick. Or the second hit can be in the middle on the long stick, which the man keeps up as a shield
** A note of customs associated with the Tongan Dance. The most prevalent is the fakapale. Literally the fakapale means to give prize to. If a spectator admires the skill of a dancer, he or she may go up and present the dancer with a gift. Once these gifts were tapa and mats but today money is far more popular.
