WHAKATAETAE MAORI SONG AND DANCE COMPETITION STOMPS INTO THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER FOR A SEVENTH YEAR
Fiery Maori Chants and Graceful Beauty of Songs and Dances Never Cease to Amaze
Laie, HI: Traditional music and dance from New Zealand take the stage once more at the Polynesian Cultural Center for the 7th Annual Whakataetae Maori Song and Dance Competition. Groups from Hawaii and Utah will compete from
Friday, April 28 through Saturday, April 29. They will join special exhibition performances by last year’s overall junior and senior division winners.
The competition kicks off Friday, April 28, at 8:00 a.m. with a Powhiri (gathering of all participants) in PCC’s Maori village and continues later that night at 7:30 p.m. with the Korero (speech) competition in PCC’s Hale Ku‘ai. The competition will be followed by a traditional Maori costume fashion show, music by North Shore’s Maori group Second Nature, and impromptu entertainment by the audience.
The competition continues on Saturday, April 29 at 9:00 a.m. in the Pacific Theater with the senior division group song and dance competition and exhibition performances by last year’s junior and senior division overall winners: Te Ro‘opu O Tamanako (junior) and Te Wananga Maori O Hawaii (senior). The competing groups will be judged on their Whakaeke (Entrance), Moteatea (Chant), Haka, Poi Balls, and Whakawatea (Exit). Monetary gifts and trophies will be awarded to the winners.
Judges from New Zealand will grade the competitors on their skills in singing, dancing, chanting and speaking.
Admission to Friday night’s festivities is free, while regular admission to the song and dance competition on Saturday is $6 for children ages 3-11 and $8 for adults. Annual Pass holders get in free. Purchase of a Whakataetae Competition ticket allows for admittance to the Center for the rest of the day, excluding meals and the Horizons night show. Keiki are invited to check out the Passport to Polynesia for even more fun during their visit at the PCC. For more information or reservations, please call 800-367-7060, or in Hawaii call 293-3333, or visit www.Polynesia.com.
Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, the PCC has entertained more than 32 million visitors while preserving and portraying the culture, arts, and crafts of Polynesia to the rest of the world. In addition, the PCC has provided financial assistance to 15,000 young people from more than 70 different countries while they have attended Brigham Young University-Hawaii. As a non-profit organization, all funds generated by the PCC are used for its daily operations and to support its cultural and educational missions.
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