The bride changes into her second wedding gown and performs a traditional Samoan dance (Taualuga) for the guests. Despite these rare cases, the tau'olunga can be danced at any special occasion. This contemporary version of the ancient tuiga also uses materials that were never used traditionally, such as glass mirrors, faux jewels and pearls, plastic mesh and chicken feathers. It is a combination of the Samoan Taualuga and the Tongan ula. More like this. Islanders are deeply spiritual and attach great meaning to family and tradition. It is also used to wrap up wedding receptions and festivals in many regions. Polynesian Culture. Oh my goodness! The Coconut TV. He made reference to the serious protocols of the speeches, welcomes and ceremonies, including the Samoan ava ceremony and reciprocated in the traditional way with a gift of a fine Samoan woven . [14] This seems to be the form of the most ancient "tuiga" before the "selu" comb and "tava'e" feathers were replaced by the mother of pearl shell "lave" and "sega" feathers, that has now been supplanted by mirrors, sequins and dyed chicken feathers. One well known tradition is the tatau, or Samoan tattooing. #Samoa #Tonga #Siva #Love #Wedding. Polynesian Dance. Hillary College's Samoan group perform their sasa at the ASB Auckland Secondary Schools Mori and Pacific Island Cultural Festival (Polyfest) in 1992. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taualuga&oldid=1036086889, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 July 2021, at 11:59. [20] Without the glottal stop the term "nifooti" means "dead tooth" or "dead horn," and could not be misconstrued to mean "tooth of death. Coconut midribs ("tuaniu") wrapped with strips of tapa cloth were secured to a faceplate ("lave") made of turtle shell in such a way that the midribs stood upright when the faceplate was tied to the hair above the forehead; the hair was pulled upward into a tight topknot called the "foga" which was then tightly wrapped with tapa into a stiff cone to which the faceplate was tied. It is evident what this short clip is about and what caught my attention mostwas the wordhistory in the subheading, so I clicked on it and watched. The crowning attire of the taupou or manaia was the traditional headdress known as the "tuiga." Wayne Luafalemana. The "ailao" is performed before the actual taualuga as an exhibition of the dancer's skill, dexterity, grace, and coordination. A "GOOD" Taualuga siva [videos] | One Samoana Similarities between Maulu'ulu and Samoan culture. The inclusion of the taualuga in the celebration of the Eucharist, especially at the presentation of gifts, signifies the willingness of the participants to present what is considered sacred to God. Vaasiliifiti Moelagi Jackson stated that when the Taupou is on her way to forward to her stage, the aiuliswho have to be the Taupous brothers or relatives are the ones to be dancing on the fringe of the Taupou, they have an urge to shout loudly to make an announcement as to here comes the pride of the village or the pride of the family or make way for the Taupou and this is why people are being seen trolling or hitting the floors along with the Samoan traditional slap dance for the men. Kiuussuuusssuuuu!!! Costuming may include headbands or headdresses, coconut shell or boar tusk necklaces, and brightly dyed feathers. This role is called the tuulafale. Traditional Samoan dance is arguably the one area of Samoan culture that has not been touched by Western Civilization. However, most of the movements are so stylised that only experienced practitioners will understand their meaning. She says traditionally in the dance item 'taualuga' the female role called the 'taupou' is performed by the high chief's daughter. Both the dancer and the mats were generously anointed with scented coconut oil to give a cosmetic sheen. The "lafo" custom, however, does not share the fundraising origins of money dances, although it does reflect the former tradition of presenting fine mats and tapa cloth at festive occasions that were concluded with the taualuga.[25]. The wrappings are set ablaze, and the dancer performs acrobatic moves while twirling the fire knife. Taualuga - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia The Taupouhas to wear the headpiece when performing and the Taupou also has to have a relation to the headpiece as its been passed down from many generations to generations to wear, in other words, they are performing with their ancestors. I could register at You Tube and put together a collection there of all my favourite clips, but Im the cool dude (chick) thats going to be different and post my faves here. Hawaii Holiday . While the chant is often sung in traditional Samoan language, it can also be performed in English: The Manu Samoa, may you succeed in your mission. A Traditional Feast. Siva Samoa is the Samoan term for a Samoan dance. When European whalers and entrepreneurs introduced the steel blubber knife and cane knife these blades were quickly adapted as warclubs and used for "ailao" dancing and warfare. This usually consisted of a traditional finely woven ie toga mat, decorated with the prized feathers of the "sega" (collared lory or blue-crowned lorikeet), that was wrapped around the body. 5 . (Unless you're a newbie dancer, then it's just breathless and painful). Traditional Samoan dancing is one area of the culture that has been the least affected by western civilization. This one (below) is probably my favourite. Often two or more "pale fuiono" were tied around the wearer's forehead. Learning more about the Taualuga and the Taupou makes prouder of my aganuu, my culture. The "ailao" is performed before the actual taualuga as an exhibition of the dancer's skill, dexterity, grace, and coordination. The pe'a is what we call the Samoan traditional tattoo given to men. The eyes are never to glance away from the viewers. The Samoan taualuga is known for its graceful refinement, subtle hand and facial gestures, and the stately poise of the dancers movements and postures. No problem. Just because I love to siva samoa. Oysho the ways in which Samoan adolescent girls are using traditional Samoan dance in defining self in a two-culture worlda self that merges opposing cul tural concepts of what it means to be a person. Tua's hometown of Ewa Beach, Hawaii. [13] The earliest mention of "tuiga" refers to a headdress that was made with an intricately carved vertical "comb" called a "selu tuiga" (literally, "standing up comb"); this teeth of the "selu" were stuck into the hair at the base of the "foga," to which coconut midribs and long tropicbird ("tava'e") feathers were attached. Required fields are marked *. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Much Love! The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa'a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture.In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. Level 2, 204 Thorndon Quay, Wellington 6011 Also, the headpiece which is called the Tuiga in Samoan was explained, it is made out of flowers, human hair, three noticeable spikes and shells. The brandishing of the "nifo'oti" originates with the ancient spectacle of twirling, throwing and mock-fighting with heirloom clubs called "anava" - this performance was called "ailao" and it was a common pre-battle ritual. Furthermore, the traditional multi-piece tuiga is almost never seen, having been almost completely replaced with modern one-piece replicas that resemble tall hats, complete with velcro flaps that wrap around the head and attach in the back. The taupou was raised from youth in the arts of hospitality, cultural rituals and ceremonies, chiefly protocol and demeanor, and the intricacies of the fine arts of dancing, the pinnacle of which was the taualuga. Samoan oral history maintains that dance wear for aristocratic Samoans was also painstakingly crafted from other natural materials, such as skirts made of "sega" feathers ("iefulu" or "'ofu'ula") or dresses composed of flower petals and leaves ("la'ei" or "'ofumeamata"). [3], Traditionally, the Taualuga is performed by the son or daughter of a chief. This dance form has been adopted and adapted throughout western Polynesia, most notably in the Kingdom of Tonga, Uvea, Futuna, and Tokelau. When European whalers and entrepreneurs introduced the steel blubber knife and cane knife these blades were quickly adapted as warclubs and used for "ailao" dancing and warfare. Hawaii Hula. Leva ga eva i le one samoana ao lea faakoa kiliki mai i lea igu o le faleoo..hehe, aoooo, i just have free time now to evaeva little bit.But yeah, I used to entertain every night at the polyensian cultural center for the tourists..aiaiuli i le taupou or faaluma i le sasa.How about you dance the taupou ae aiaiuli ai authat way DA can watch you and learn from the pro. Eh kailo all I know is I learned most from watching others dance, especially my grandmother and mum and the older ladies in the family. It is also used to wrap up wedding receptions and festivals in many regions. It is rare--but not impossible--for a married couple or an older woman to do a tau'olunga. From the sacred to the slap-happy, take a tour of some of Samoa's most famous choreography. LOL @ Cherry awww I more of a fan than an expert in the taualuga I just love it! We have a carton full of eggs-cellent egg puns and jokes for you to enjoy! Synchronization to a drumbeat or the percussive striking of a rolled mat characterizes the sasa, a dance performed by men. But to this day, Samoan girls the world over (yes even us geek girls) are taught from a young age the timeless virtues of the Taualuga dance itself: Grace: A Taupou's movements are fluid, easy elegant and effortless. I also love the moves they do in some of the Miss Samoa sivas (esp the ones you can tell were taught by the faafafines lol oh wow!! Whether you want to watch Samoan dance or learn it yourself, discovering the rich history behind it can enhance your appreciation of the dance steps themselves. Each village in Samoa is autonomous and led by a council of matai referred to as the 'village fono.' It is also rare to see a man perform the dance, but he can mimic the dancing girl's movements in an exaggerated manner to make her beauty more striking by comparison. The ancient Samoan dance involving a knife is called the ailao, which was choreographed to show off the power of a young warrior. Traditionally, the Taualuga is performed by the son or daughter of a chief. The highborn son or daughter of a Samoan chief would dress in full festive regalia for a taualuga performance. [16] Modern tuiga headbands also stray from the original design and the use of real "fuiono" nautilus shells is almost obsolete, even in Samoa, where the headband replicas are now fashioned with non-traditional materials such as sequins, rhinestones, and common shells such as cowries. The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa'a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture. [1] The renowned Tongan version is called the tau'olunga . Dulled or bladeless knives are not accepted by the Samoan dancing community and are only used to teach and train younger dancers. To be more specific, this oral video explained what the meaning of a Taualuga is and how it is performed and by whom. Coconut midribs ("tuaniu") wrapped with strips of tapa cloth were secured to a faceplate ("lave") made of turtle shell in such a way that the midribs stood upright when the faceplate was tied to the hair above the forehead; the hair was pulled upward into a tight topknot called the "foga" which was then tightly wrapped with tapa into a stiff cone to which the faceplate was tied. Anklets and armbands made of ti leaves, sea turtle shell ("uga laumei" or "uga fonu"), coconut shell, and/or boar's tusks adorned the dancer and the ensemble was completed with a necklace of cut whale's teeth ("ulalei") or boar's tusks ("ulanifo"). His mum ran a business in Melbourne teaching classes in Samoan language. Cookie policy. The dress reaches from just above the breasts down to the knees (or sometimes past the knee), leaving her arms and legs bare. There's also the popular Laumei or Luemei for short as well as Tautasi which have their own unique style to them too! The dance is accompanied by a singing chorus and a Fala (a rolled up mat beaten with sticks) or a Pate (a Samoan slit drum). It requires the dancer to retain grace, movement of the arms & hands is done so in a subtle but delicate manner. [13] The earliest mention of "tuiga" refers to a headdress that was made with an intricately carved vertical "comb" called a "selu tuiga" (literally, "standing up comb"); this teeth of the "selu" were stuck into the hair at the base of the "foga," to which coconut midribs and long tropicbird ("tava'e") feathers were attached. "[4] However, Taupou in certain districts consist of important individual female names or titles under Samoa's traditional social hierarchy and form of governance, the Fa'amatai chiefly system. OMG. What is a Samoan tuiga? - Short-Question Get Anava Samoana news and updates straight to your inbox. Mr & Mrs Pasefika Timothy and Seletute Umuvaka Mapapalangi Samuelu's Wedding Celebration. The brandishing of the "nifo'oti" originates with the ancient spectacle of twirling, throwing and mock-fighting with heirloom clubs called "anava" - this performance was called "ailao" and it was a common pre-battle ritual. [11] Both the dancer and the mats were generously anointed with scented coconut oil to give a cosmetic sheen. It is considered the apex of Samoan performances and the centrepiece of Samoan tradition. Taualuga Explained In cases when the tuiga was not worn, the "pale fuiono" was usually worn with the "ie'ula" feather ornament tied to dangle from the back or side of the dancer's head. Oka, though I do remember getting things thrown at me earlier on and the comments about how boy-ish and kako I was and how maybe I should go learn the faataupati instead lol. The second component of the tuiga was the "pale fuiono," literally "the headband of nautilus shells," made of rows of pearlized nautilus shells tied to a woven headband. Today, adult Samoan dancers use authentic, sharpened blades. The manaia could perform the Taualuga if the High Chief had no daughters, but the performance of a chief's son was often in jest; a manaia's performance was not held to the same strict standards of elegance and refinement required of a taupou and did not hold the same sociocultural significance of that of the taupou. Samoan dance traditions reflect contact between Samoan culture and other cultures from the East and West. The oral video goes on to explain how a Tamaitai is expected to act and dance along with the Nifooti which was used a weapon in the war era. Samoan dance - Wikipedia This dance form has been adopted and adapted throughout western Polynesia, most notably in Samoa, The Kingdom of Tonga, Uvea, Futuna, and Tokelau. Traditional Samoan dance is arguably the one area of Samoan culture that has not been touched by Western Civilization. The girl must smile throughout her performance. Samoan Dance - Taualuga by Lily Hapeta - Prezi The brandishing of the "nifo'oti" originates with the ancient spectacle of twirling, throwing and mock-fighting with heirloom clubs called "anava" - this performance was called "ailao" and it was a common pre-battle ritual.