Appreciated or depreciated – native’s views on foreigners doing Polynesian dancing

Interview in Papeete Tahiti Nov 15th 2005 with

Kainuku Matani
Tahitian Maohi
• Leader (ra’atira), choreographer and composer of Nonahere
Dance Group
o Nonahere won the 2nd place in amateur category in Heiva 2005 and
was nominated to compete in the professional group in the future
• Singer of Grand Ballet de Tahiti Dance Group
• School teacher of the children with learning disabilities
• Founder and President of the ACATN, Association Culturelle et
Artistique de Tahiti Nui
o Aims of the ACATN are to promote the culture and the arts of
Tahiti, to permit for young people to be artists, to learn culture and
arts from other countries and islands, to organize cultural and
artistic activities and to promote the tourism
• Former dancer of Hei Tiare and Jasmina dance groups and
former dancer and singer of Te Maeva dance group

Why do you dance, what does it
mean to you?
I do it for the spirit; it’s the way of life
for me. It’s also fun. For me leading a
dance group is a way to do social
education and make people to grow to
another level. I hope we will go with
the Tahitian dance towards similar
philosophy known from Hawaiian Hula;
I’m slowly preparing the people for
that. The Tahitians have the candle of
the culture, but they just need some
help to light it up.
What are the most important
aspects of the dancing generally for
the people of Tahiti?
Nowadays they do it for fun, personal
improvement and health, like sport.
There are also economic reasons;
some do it for competition, some for
traveling. Unfortunately they don’t do it
so much for the culture or self
expression. The society is not going
forward with the culture, the people
doesn’t feel the dance like a way of life
anymore.
What do you think about foreigners
doing the Tahitian dances?
That’s good for two reasons. First,
Polynesia is like an idea of the
paradise for the foreigners and it’s
good, because the people need to
have illusions to dream and to create.
The Polynesian culture is very
interesting for the foreigners, our way
of life attracts their attention and they
like it. The second point is when the
Tahitians see a foreign dance group,
they start to value more their own
culture and to understand it’s
something very precious.
What would be the most
appropriate role for the foreigners
to do your dances?
To extend, to share and to make the
Tahitian culture more known. By
ourselves we cannot go everywhere.
This is the mission of all the actors of
the Polynesian music and dance.
In order to protect the dances from
foreign misuse, would you support
establishing an international legal
frame or agreement that the
Tahitian dances are intellectual
property of the indigenous people
of Tahiti?
No, I don’t think we need to protect
the dance that way, but we need to
teach it properly. For that we need to
establish common terminology and
frames for the Ori Tahiti as an art
form. There are a lot of people who
knows the dance, but they don’t know
how to teach it. For the Tahitian
spirit and life, it’s important to keep
the dance authentic. We have to
protect the dance by establishing the
frames; the terminology is not ready
yet but our Ministry of Culture is
working on it currently.
Do you think it’s appropriate for
the foreign dancers to do public
performances and shows with
Tahitian dances?
Yes, because we have to go forward
besides our differences. It makes the
whole thing to go forward. I accept
all the people to make our dances. It
is essential to realize about the
dancing that the group is significant,
not the individuals. For performing
the technique should be mastered,
it’s important to do the dancing well.
After that the chorographical or
creative part is free.
What aspects the foreigners
should understand and know
about the dancing in order to do it
properly?
They have to know the language to
be able to comprehend what they
are dancing; that is also the way
they can start to understand the
culture. The language is the basis
for the dancing and the key for
understanding our culture.
What way the foreigners can be
disrespectful when doing your
dances?
Aroha means literally ‘bent face’, so it
refers to the tolerance, respect and
humbleness. If they don’t respect the
culture and if they don’t dance with
emotions and feelings it’s
disrespectful. It’s very important to
have the emotion and feeling when
dancing in front of the audience. It’s
respect to emote the feelings of the
dance.
Are there any sacred dances,
stories, songs or legends that
should not be used by the
foreigners in order to respect your
culture?
For me no, I think the culture is for
everybody.
Do you think it’s appropriate for the
foreign dancers to teach Tahitian
dances for other foreigners?
Yes it’s fine, it just depends on the
attitude. If you know the dance, then
why not. The language has to be
understood though. Conservatoire of
the French Polynesia is the place to
get the diploma. For the foreigners the
teaching system should be established
in the dance schools of their own
countries.
Do you think the foreign teachers
should be some how monitored or
certified?
I think it would be good. We have a
academy for the certification and it
takes eight years to get the diploma.
Another kind of certification system is
also under development. The ones
who want to establish a school should
have performing experience and the
diploma.
Do you think it’s appropriate for the
foreigners to charge money for
performing and / or teaching your
dances?
Yes of course, because the group
must live. You need money to buy
instruments, costumes, etc. It’s fine
when the money is used for the same
thing, and not earned for the money
itself.
What do you think about foreigners
copying the dance choreographies
from DVDs and videos?
It is basically fine when they don’t do
business with that. They can use one
or two dances, but not doing the
whole show by copying other groups.
But if there is a copyright, it should be
respected.
Is it important to ask permission for
copying?
Yes, it is very important. This is
respect. At least it’s important to let
the artists know when using their
material.
Is it important to mention the How well do you think your
source (choreographer, composer opinions represent the general
etc.) when presenting the copied opinion of the Tahitians?
dances? I think the majority would agree with
Yes, very important, this is showing me. □
respect.
Is it fine to modify and to do
changes to the original
choreographies?
It’s fine. It means that also others can
be creative. But if someone copies the
dance and says it’s his own
choreography, it means that person
has some problem with himself.
Would it be recommendable for the
foreigners to preferably create their
own choreographies?
Yes I would recommend that, it’s cute.
We can have different ideas and then
we can compare, this will help us to
know where the skill level goes.
According to the fact that there are
growing amount of interested
foreigners practicing your dances,
what would be your idea of
promoting it properly?
My idea is to promote the dance and
culture by organizing festivals and
meetings so people can connect and
meet. That way they can share the
knowledge and learn from each other.
It’s good when the foreigners come to
the Islands to learn, or when the
Tahitians go abroad to teach. This will
also make Tahitians to realize many
important things about their own
culture and dance.
Would you be personally interested
in promoting the dancing for the
foreigners?
Yes, by organizing festivals and
meetings so the foreigners could
come to Tahiti. I could also travel
abroad to give workshops, preferably
with few dancers and musicians so
the teaching could be done with © Interview and pictures by Karoliina
individual instructing. Auvinen, Polynesian dancer from Finland,
www.karoliinaauvinen.net