Tau'olunga

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A group tauʻolunga
A group tauʻolunga

The tauʻolunga is a traditional Tongan dance and one of the most striking symbols of true Tongan heritage. The type of dance is comparable with (some) Hawaiʻian hula, or the Tahitian ʻaparima.

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[edit] Performance

The tauʻolunga is a solo dance for virgins, especially for them to show off at their wedding day. But it can be danced at any special occasion. Often too it is performed by a small group of girls, up to 10 or so. It is rare for a married, or any older woman to dance it, and even rarer, but not impossible to be performed by men. However, men can assist the dance girl by mimicking their movements in an exaggerated and clownesque way, which is supposed to make the beauty of the girl even more striking. The assistance of older women is usually limited to only handclaps on the rhythm of the music. This role is called the tuʻulafale. It is very typical that a girl starts the dance, that then parents, cousins, whatever family members or friends come on the stage to put money notes on her oiled skin, and then join her in the tuʻulafale. The prizemoney (fakapale) is a reward for the girl, unless, as often is the case, the dance is performed as part of a fundraising.

The tauʻolunga mainly consists of a series of hand movements, which interpret the meaning of the selected song. However, most of the movements are so stylised that only adepts will understand them. Many of the typical gestures (haka) are standarised and have their own name. Also important is the movement of the head. The head with the eyes should follow the hands on important movements, otherwise they are to be directed to the public. The eyes are never to glance away. From time to time little nods within one beat (teki) or two beats (kalo) must be made with the head. The girl must smile all the time. The movements of the body and the legs are less important. They have to follow hands and head. Shaking of the hips, as elsewhere in Polynesia, is forbidden. Most of the time the legs are standing still, knees must be together and bent (taulalo). Only from time to time some small steps, never large, or a turn around can be performed. In overall, the girl's movements should be supple and soft, as should be her whole body.

A unique feature of any Tongan dance, not found elsewhere in Polynesia is the rotational movements of the hands in many of the haka.

[edit] Dress

A tauʻolunga 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 exposed skin parts 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 (puleʻoto). By tradition, if the shell is missing, then she is no virgin. 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.

[edit] History

The tauʻolunga is said to have been imported from and styled after the Sāmoan taualuga in the 19th century. But it is also clearly a descendant of the ancient Tongan ula / faʻahi-ula / fahaʻiula. The original ula was a group dance of young chiefly daughters who on the rhythm of a quite monotonous song made a series of postures, beautiful to look at. The postures were with the hands only, the body remained stiff. The old tauʻolunga followed this style. It was not until 1950 that queen Sālote personally, with her song Manu ʻo palataisi (bird of paradise) changed the tauʻolunga by extending the suppleness of the hands to rest of the body as well.

[edit] References