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Kapa Haka is the traditional tribal Dance of the Maori People on Aotearoa (New Zealand).

The meaning of the term Kapa haka includes waiata-a-ringa (action songs), waiata tawhito (ancient songs that tell of historic events) and the use of poi (a swinging ball used to train for dexterity).

Various kinds of haka (war dance) were performed by Māori warriors before battle to unite them in anger or courage, and to intimidate the enemy, using weapons such as the patu (short club) and taiaha (fighting staff). The dance always came with body movement and expression. Besides wars, the dance also expresses the lifestyle of each era: activities such as labour through food gathering, fishing, hunting, warfare, and socialization through various rituals, contributed collectively to this tradition; Whānau (family) celebrations, as well as inter-tribal visits, provided the opportunity for Māori to entertain in dance forms telling of past events, whakapapa (genealogy), heroes, death, landmarks, and rituals.
Today kapa haka is presented in two forms: for entertainment and maintenance and also for competition. Both forms have an important place for dance development in modern society. As well, the preservation of Māori ritual is the marae (traditional gathering house) institution. Joining the Māori Kapa Haka are Today’s modern styles such as Jazz, hip hop, dances such social dance, Latin American, Middle Eastern and a fusion of different dance forms.
Māori excel at singing, embracing every style from traditional waiata and classical opera to all forms of modern-day music, including Polynesian hip-hop. These performers and groups, along with many others, have reached the heart of the Māori world and delighted audiences with their performances.

 


 

 

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Māori links:

http://www.maori.org.nz/kapahaka/

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/for-maori/resources/mpa/nmd/introduction.html

http://maaori.com/people/

http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/resources/toi-maori.pdf

http://teiho.org/Default.aspx?instanceID=223