AllWays Traveller Features
Dance in the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are located in the South Pacific, between Hawaii and New Zealand.
Cook Islanders are hugely proud of their culture and heritage and dance is an important way of teaching cultural values and historical events to visitors younger generations of islanders.
One popular Cook Islands dance up to ten drums beating the ura pa-u (drum dance).
The women wear coconut bras, grass skirts made from beach hibiscus decorated with flowers, shells, feathers and seeds and decorated head bands.
The men wear the grass skirts, which are accessorised with headdresses, arm bands and leggings which are tied at the top of the calf, all are made with natural fibres.
The annual Te Mire Ura, the Dancer Of The Year competition in Rarotonga (23 April to 6 May 2021), celebrates Cook Islands dance talents.
Local dance is also celebrated in early August during the annual Te Maeva Nui festival.
The Cook Islands has been COVID free since April 2020.
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