Wednesday, August 21

Te Maeva Nui 2013 - Takitumu Drum Dance



This year's Te Maeva Nui dance competition gave local (Rarotonga-based) teams the chance to shine and they certainly made the most of the opportunity.
With fabulous costumes, exciting choreography and plenty of new faces, it might not have had outer islanders but it had everything else.
One (among many) of my favourite items was the Takitumu ura pau. The ura pau, or drum dance, involves mainly lower body movement, pulsating drum beats and non-stop action. It's always an audience favourite and this one was no exception - you can hear the cheers in the background.
All the items last six or seven minutes so this video is just an excerpt. If you want to see the whole thing don't forget the Ministry of Cultural Development will have DVDs available some time soon.