Australia & New Zealand, the island countries of Australasia, a part of the continent of Oceania, surrounded by the South West Pacific Ocean and separated by the waters of the Tasman Sea, are colloquially and collectively referred as the countries ‘Down Under’. Both the countries, predominantly inhabited by English-speaking European migrants, are a tourist’s delight. New Zealand, a two-island State, is more culturally distinct. The initial habitants of New Zealand were the Polynesians, who arrived on the shores of New Zealand in hand-made canoes carved out of wood. They were violent warrior tribes, which later came to be referred to as the Maoris. They dominated New Zealand till the seventeenth century. The arrival of the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, the first European to discover New Zealand, tilted the scales in favour of the white settlers - and the Maori population dramatically declined, due to disease and the lack of resources. The subjugation of the Maoris was checked only in the 1950s. The process of integrating them into the main stream has ensured that today their music and dance occupies an important place in the culture of New Zealand (though they are just 15% of the population). Maori food, dress, dance and music – all have a Polynesian base. ‘Haka’, the traditional dance, is actually a series of war cries that were performed by Polynesian warriors before battle. It conveyed a display of bravery, a readiness to fight and to intimidate and unnerve the enemy. Haka demonstrated the power, strength and prowess of warriors, and has therefore been a ‘male’ dance. In some instances, though, women have performed a dance (Ngati Porou Haka). Otherwise they are engaged as background Haka singers. The mythological origins of Haka are unclear. It is said that the Maori Sun God, Tama-nui-te-ra, and one of his wives (who symbolised the sun’s warmth) had a son (named Tane-rore). The Maoris believed that the quivering of the hot air in the summer season was actually Tane-rore dancing for his mother, while taking baby steps; the tremble in the air symbolised his movements. Haka has evolved as a dance that is performed during religious rituals, marriages, while welcoming a guest into the house and even during funerals. Haka’s popular dance ‘Ka Mate’ was composed by a Maori warrior chief in the eighteenth century. In the Haka dance the entire body is moved violently but rhythmically. The male members sway from one side to the other while violently thumping their chest, beating or clapping their thighs, jerking the torsos and forcefully landing on the ground. The feet are also stomped in rhythm. The essence of this dance is to show the enemy the readiness of the warrior to engage in battle. The men also grunt, shout and make war noises, which serve as a musical accompaniment, while the women Haka singers chant in the background. The men’s eyes bulge out and the tongue is also stuck out or wagged. The contouring of the face muscles expresses courage, bravery and anger, as also excitement, readiness and happiness. There are different variations in Haka dancing. There is a battle dance, which is of a violent nature (Peruperu), a jumping dance from left to right and the converse (Tutu ngarahu), and a dance that is performed sans weapons (Ngeri). Each of these variations has no specifics in choreography. They are more or less custom-based dances that are natural, uncomplicated and unfettered.
Considering the changed cultural sphere, Haka has now become more a ceremonial dance. The traditional Maoris still attempt to guard the purity of the Haka tradition, but since most of them have been integrated into the ‘mainstream’, it has become difficult to maintain the traditional aspects and ‘tempo’ of Haka. Haka is now generally performed during the opening ceremonies of sports events - like the 14th Commonwealth Games in 1990 (Auckland) and during Rugby matches. In fact the feared two time world champions, the New Zealand Rugby Team, the All Blacks, is encouraged by Haka performers before its matches. The Haka dancers particularly perform warrior-dances to prepare the All Blacks for ‘battle’ against their traditional Rugby rivals, Australia. In this scenario, will Haka as a dance form survive for long? Fortunately, the government of New Zealand seems to have realised that the path to the preservation of its native culture lies not only in the greater integration of the native minority into the mainstream, but also in the preservation of their performing arts – especially the Haka dance.
The Writer is a renowned Kuchipudi Danseuse and Choreographer
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