Since the arrival of European missionaries, the Tahitian dance known as “ori tahiti” was banned (as were many other artistic activities) because it was considered too erotic. It only regained its prestige around 1950. Today, “ori tahiti” is practiced by a large proportion of the Polynesian population. Numerous dance schools have opened up, conveying Polynesian values. Each dance step and gesture carries a precise meaning.

Dance: a living art
There is not “one” but many Polynesian dances. Indeed, they often diverge from one archipelago to another. Each has its own specific characteristics. For example, Marquesan dances differ from those practiced in the Australs and Tuamotu-Gambiers. They are performed to the rhythm of the “to'ere”, “pahu”, percussion instruments, and “ukulele”, famous little four-string guitars, made in different ways according to Hawaiian or Tahitian techniques.

Oral culture
Songs, closely linked to dances, are also an essential part of Polynesian life. Instruments such as the ukulele and the guitar set the tempo for the songs, whose magic is essentially due to the sublime voices of the male and female singers, as well as the love lyrics often present. The songs also evoke the beauty of Tahiti and her islands, the adventures of their inhabitants and their daily lives. They may also praise a flower, fruit or tree and extol its virtues.

As for traditional songs, they recount ancient legends and praise ancestral divinities. Polynesian songs are divided into several categories according to their purpose and role. An “ute arearea”, for example, features a person singing a funny story with a moral at the end, while a “himene” is more religious in character.