Photo By Sgt. Sarah Anderson | Sgt. Kristi De Lashmutt, musician with U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Band, dances...... read more read more
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KAILUA, Hawaii - The art of Polynesian dancing has a rich history in Hawaiian culture. The tradition has survived centuries and its style and symbolism can be seen in present day.
A mixture of dance styles from islands all over the central southern Pacific Ocean, some styles of dancing include; Tahitian, Hula, fire dancing, Maori and Samoan.
The various styles have their own unique expressions, but are rooted in similar culture and tradition.
Historically, the dances were used to tell stories or pass on history. Each move within the dance has meaning which complements the lyrics or beat of the music.
To those who practice Polynesian dance, it is more than a simple beat and good choreography. Polynesian dancers move with “mana,” a spiritual word meaning the power of the elemental forces of nature embodied in an object or person.
“When dancing, you go through the motions, but when you dance with mana, you can tell that person is emotionally attached to the dance,” said Sgt. Kristi De Lashmutt, a musician with Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band.
De Lashmutt has been dancing Polynesian style since she was 13 years old in Stockton, Calif. She has competed in international competitions and now dances with Tamatao, a local halau (dance group) in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
“Every dance tells a story with movement of your hands, feet, hips, your body,” De Lashmutt said. “I loved expressing myself through dance, music, any type of art. Just like music, it’s an art. I love the culture.”
Dance is used to communicate stories or emotions. In the past, warriors would use dance for intimidation, while others would tell stories using body language.
“We dance stories describing old folk tale and traditional stories,” De Lashmutt said. “When I play my instrument (in the band), I speak through my (saxaphone), when I dance, I speak through my body movements. It’s important to me to express that to people.”
De Lashmutt said her favorite story to dance is called E Pili Mai, a dance about a man who proved his love to a woman by climbing a mountain with a torch and scattering the ashes down the cliff as a gift of love.
“It showed how much love he had for his woman,” De Lashmutt said. “It’s a hard climb, it showed he didn’t give up and won’t give up on her.”
Almost everything about a dancer creates the picture of the dance, including tattoos, apparel, color and timing.
“Each color (a dancer wears) means something, each move is symbolic and timing is very important,” De Lashmutt said. “Bad timing is like telling a good joke at a bad time. As a group it needs to be together and in unison.”
De Lashmutt also pointed out neglecting to take the symbolism into consideration can be perceived as lack of respect for tradition.
“If you don’t dance correctly, it can be disrespectful of the culture,” she added. “The dance needs to complement the lyrics because you need to be careful not to disrespect the culture.”
The dancing community, however, is ohana (family), De Lashmutt said.
“Its fun being in a Halau,” she said. “It’s like a family. They make sure everyone is taken care of.”
The survival of Polynesian dance over centuries is largely to do the lasting impact it has had on the world, De Lashmutt said.
“It connects with people,” she said. “People can relate universally through music and art. People do it today because it was so powerful, just like music.”
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2014 18:03 |
| Story ID: | 119496 |
| Location: | KAILUA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 380 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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