Haka

This week I was fortunate enough to observe the AJHS kapahaka focus class. One of the dances that the students did was the world famous "Haka". Hakas are best described as challenge dances. Made popular by the All-Blacks New Zealand rugby club, hakas are used to make a point and to vent anger. They are performed by both men and women, with the focus on the men in the front and support from the women behind. They are vocal performances involving rhythmic declamation in triple metre and aggressive or challenging facial expressions (pūkana, literally "glaring"), body movements and demeanour. The men make heavy use of foot stamping, body percussion, and grimace in an attempt to appear as menacing as possible. Haka are often described as traditional war dances but in fact had many other uses as well in precolonial Māori society, and have many peaceful uses today. Here's a clip of the All-Blacks doing the Haka before a match.



To learn more about the traditional haka: Click Here