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Traditional Dances The art of dance is taken very seriously in the Cooks. Each island in the chain has its own special dance and the learning of dance is considered an important aspect of childhood. Competitions through out the year encourage traditional dance performances. Men and women sinuously move to the highly rhythmic drumming on the paté and demonstrate the wild and sensuous movements of the different dances. Compared to the popular Hawaiian hula and the Tahitian tamuré, the Cook Islands hura is far more sensual and fierce. Every major hotel prides itself on the performance it puts on at least once a week on Island Night when guests, selected by the dancers, are led onto the floor to show what they can do. |
Traditional Music
All Cook Islanders share a love for music and song. Close harmony singing is highly developed in church music and often repeated at weddings and funerals in the form of hymns. Like dance, each island has its distinct music and song, which form the basis of annual competitions among the islanders. Accompanying the hura and other dances are wooden drums paté, which reflect the ancient Maori culture and hold an important place in parades and processions on the island. The Cook Islands drumming is different from the Tahitian and comprises of different sounds from each island, namely Aitutaki, Manihiki, Tongareva, Pukapuka, Mangaia, Nga-pu-toru, and Rarotonga rhythms.
