Lakalaka is a Tongan group dance in which the performers are mostly still and use only their arms to make gestures.
Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific about 2,000 kilometers northeast of New Zealand. In the Pacific area, it is the only constitutional monarchy. Throughout the islands, communities practice this cultural expression, and it features prominently in important celebrations such as the coronation of the monarch, the anniversary of the constitution, or the opening of a church.
Lakalaka dance is regarded as Tonga's national dance combining choreography, oratory, and vocal and instrumental polyphony as well as part of the intangible human heritage. The word lakalaka in Tongan means to step rapidly or carefully, and its origins can be traced to a traditional dance known as me’elaufola. The tradition developed in the nineteenth century but was revived in the twentieth century, thanks to the continual transmission of the tradition and the patronage of the royal family.
The current lakalaka is similar to the ancient me'elaufola (outstretched arms dance), which has existed in descriptions since early European explorers, however, it was forbidden by missionaries and deemed too 'heathen'. The 1850 code of King Taufa'ahau Tupou I confirms this and provides no details of exactly what was meant by 'heathen dance'.
The dance, as it is known today, was invented by a high chief who was also a Methodist preacher, Tuku'aho (1858-1907) from Tatakamotonga. Considering that it had never been stopped before, it would probably be better to say that Tuku revivified it by using nursery rhymes and some simple movements. Afterward, people came up with their own suggestions, which were quite similar to the ones of the not-yet-forgotten me'elaufola. Consequently, a new dance was born, but it still retained many of its original characteristics, and it was approved by the missionaries.
During the performance, large groups of up to several hundred people are aligned in rows, with men on the right and women on the left. The performance lasts approximately thirty minutes. During the dances, the men perform rapid and energetic movements, while the women display graceful movements coordinated with graceful hand gestures. On top of that, both groups sing and clap as they move. An impressive spectacle is created by the polyphonic singing, combined with the synchronized movements of hundreds of dancers. The choreographer, composer, poet, performer, and the director are the punake.
By exploring themes relevant to Tongan history, legends, values, and social structure, Punakes are expected to continuously renew the Lakalaka repertory. Recently, however, the number of performances has declined and young composers tend to recycle existing repertories rather than writing new compositions.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/lakalaka-dances-and-sung-speeches-of-tonga-00072) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakalaka) |Subject=dance |Country=Tonga |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}