Discovering dance >
Introduction |
Coon dance |
Break-dance |
Hip hop |
Māori dance |
Pasifika dance |
Use of props |
Hands and feet |
Fusion dance |
Contemporary dance |
Digital dance |
References and resources |
Credits: Video DVD 1 |
Credits: DVD 2
Pasifika dance >
Background information |
Focus points and focus questions |
Suggested activities |
Related resources
Pasifika Dance
Background information
Each of the Pasifika nations has its own style of dance. Often the dances come from a warrior tradition, are derived from everyday movements, or illustrate poetry. Stick dances are examples of dances that have arisen through inter-island contact: Tonga has the soke and Sāmoa the sake.
Pasifika dance costumes vary according to available materials, the climate, and the influence of missionaries (for example, in the Cook Islands, the women wear a bra made of coconut shells). Traditional dance costumes and props include mats and tapa cloths.
Related websites
Dance exemplars:
- level 2: Junior Sasa. www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/dance/da_2b_e.php
- level 4: Senior Sasa. www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/dance/da_4b_e.php