Episode 1: Dance with Savanna N

Origin: The traditional Polynesian dance comes in many different forms. Hula originated on the island of Hawaii, Tahitian came from the island of Tahiti, the Haka and Poi Balls started in New Zealand, and lastly, fire knife dancing comes from Somoa. These dances might all be performed at a Polynesian show, but they are all beautiful, unique in different ways, and represent various cultures. Hula- Hula is a dance from the natives of Hawaii, if you go to Hawaii you may see some graceful and delicate Hula Auana, or powerful Hula Kahiko. There is a legend that hula was originally performed for Pele, the goddess of fire, performed by her sister, Hi`iaka. Many of the hula chants are an oral record of the history of Hawaii. After the arrival of the missionaries on the Hawaiian islands in 1820, hula was banned. The dance was sort of revived years later for the purpose of religion freedom. Ori Tahitian- The Ori Tahitian is the dance of the Tahitian people. You might see the Otea, which consists of gyrating hip movements to drumming, or Aprima, a dance where they tell a story through the song. Tahitian people are known to love songs and dance. In ancient times, the native people of Tahiti would perform different dances for special occasions, one dance was to greet visitors at a ceremony, and dances for prayer and worship. Other dances were dedicated to the ancient gods. Haka- Haka is one of New Zeland's traditional dances. There are many forms of Haka, for example, the most popular form is “Ka Mate. Haka portrays a strong war like gesture. Fire knife dancing- The fire dance comes from Samoa. The dance involves the brave twirling of a war knife. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Traditionally the dance was used in ancient times to prepare a warrior's mind for battle. Now the fire dancers add more style and boldness to the dance.