Tahitian Dance

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Tahitian Dance
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History

• Dance has always been essential to the Tahitian
  culture. Before European influence, dance was an
  entertainment often practiced without the social
  inhibitions of the European. Tahitians often
  danced nude or semi-nude, which greatly shocked
  European Explorers.

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European Explorers
The young girls whenever they can collect 8 or 10
together dance a very indecent dance which they
call Timorodee singing most indecent songs and
useing most indecent actions in the practice of
which they are brought up from their earlyest
Childhood. -- Capt. James Cook, after seeing his
first Tahitian dance show in 1769
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Prohibition of Dancing
In 1819 dancing was strictly prohibited under
British rule by the Pomare code. It stated, Any
song, game, or lascive entertainment is strictly
prohibited. Tahitians continued dancing in
secret however, over the course of time parts of
Tahitian dance began to be lost.
In 1842, France took control of the territory
however, limitations on dancing continued for
approximately the next 100 years. Tahitians began
dancing openly again around the 1950s.
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Modern Dances

• Tahitian dancing has changed over time and has
  developed into existing Tahitian dances. These
  dances include
• Otea
• Aparima
• Hivinau
• Tamure
• and other dances

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Otea
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Aparima

• The aparima is an expressive dance that tells a
  story gracefully through the use of slow hand
  movements and gestures. Translated literally,
  apa means kiss, and rima means hand.

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Tamure

• The Tamure is a modern dance that developed out
  of a variety of Tahitian dances. It practices
  very gender specific movements that are unique to
  Tahitian culture.

Men and women have very distinctive roles in the
tamure.
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Tamure - Women

• In the Tamure, womens movements include
• Keep the knees slightly bent
• Keep the bust and shoulders motionless
• Move hips in a rolling way

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Tamure - Men

• In the Tamure mens movements include
• Keep kness slightly bent
• Knees open and close as scissors
• Torso must remain straight
• Kick forward accompanied with move of fists

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Fire Dance
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Costumes
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Instruments
Toere