1. Kapa Haka
Kapa=To form a line
Haka=To dance

2. What is Kapa Haka?
• A performance involving singing and dancing
and combines several aspects of the Maori
culture
– Haka (Maori War dance)
– Titi Torea (Maori stick dance)
– Poi (Maori Performance style)
– Traditional Maori Music

3. Haka
• A traditional Maori war dance
– Performed with the intention of intimidating
opponents.
• Many sports teams perform this
• (Nora will go into more detail)

4. Poi
•A dance where you swing balls attached at the end of ropes around
•Balls are often on fire
•. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IjdnMvBW_A

5. Other Aspects of Kapa Haka
• Performers may switch between soft choral
music and intense war chants while
performing and dancing
• May include traditional Maori instruments.
• Often Titi Torea is included in performance
– (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOfvTi0SaCk)

6. Full Kapa Haka
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLltt0vRh
K8&feature=related

7. Origin
According to legend, a tribal leader named
Tinirau sent a troupe of women to capture a
man named Kae.
(Kae had eaten Tinirau’s pet whale)
• The women’s only knowledge of what Kae looked
like was that he had hideous overlapping teeth
• When they arrived at Kae’s village they put on a
performance to make the whole village smile so Kae
could easily be identified.

8. How it connects to True Country
• In True Country, there is a mission that
forced the children there to dance for
the enjoyment of tourists.
– “I went over to them. Alex wanted the
boys to change into the lap-lap things
and be painted, to enter into the spirit of
the occasion, he said, and not destroy
the enthusiasm of the young ones. One
of the boys said, Mockingly, ‘We should
do it or we’ll lose our culture’.”
Kapa Hakas connect to modern day
Corroborees in that they aren’t really
done for traditional reasons anymore
and are more for entertaining tourists.

9. The End 
• "Kapa Haka - Maori Performing Arts: @
Maori.org.nz." Maori.org.nz Main Maori Site on
the Net! Web. 3 May 2012.
<http://www.maori.org.nz/waiata/default.php?pi
d=sp34>.
• "Maori Culture." Kapa Haka. Web. 04 May 2012.
<http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/feat
ures/maori-culture/kapa-haka-
performances_feature.cfm>.