RATANA'S PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1923, Page 10

RATANA'S PARTY

A UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT.

To-dr/y novelty is what counts in entertainment—apart, of course, from the !!?„. ot great artists—and surely had the Wellington public realised that so novel and attractive an entertainment was to be in the Concert Chamber last evening by the members of Ratana's payty the hall would have been crowded. i>y far the finest items were the Native dances, and it was rather a pity that '.iiore of these were not given in place cf Hawaiian melodies and the like. Hawaiian art for the Hawaiians, Maori art for the Maoris, might well be made the slogan of this party, hut that is not to say that Maori art was skimped. It was not, but still there might have been Tl ?/ It' U wiU be a Pe** P"y indeed if. New Zealand's Native art becomes swamped by importations, but plainly there is that danger. The graceful and fascinating poi dances and a modernised canoe poi dance (metal plates taking the place of the raupo poi) were excellently done, the rhythm being perlect, and the wrist and body movements wonderfully graceful. Hakas and cere-' momal dances had their places in the programme, and concerted singing by the twenty odd members of the party was very enjoyable Quartettes, quintet**, and the like all helped the evening along, and the orchestral music was quite good. There are comedians aplenty m the party, and every one of the troupe appears to be thoroughly at home i n a wide range of entertaining. The company is touring the, North to gather *he I buildi nfi of a church and school at Ratana, all members "ivin? then- services voluntarily *