IV. A POI DANCE

Te Ao Hou, Royal Tour 1953, Page 24

IV. A POI DANCE A shout and a call of ‘Haere mai’, a tumultuous waving of branches and poi-balls, a tremendous brandishing of weapons, greeted the approach of Royalty. As the party mounted the stand the Tuhoe drum-and-fife band struck up the National Anthem. At once the ‘poi’ ranks bowed to the knee, while the mass of warriors behind, with one stentorian shout, raised their spears and ‘taiahas’ aloft, then sank crouching on the ground. As the strains of the National Anthem died away the Ngaiterangi women advanced in two ranks—their two leaders, both men, one at each end and slightly ahead—to dance the ‘poi’. The right leader opened with a chant, and ere he paused to take breath the left leader caught the measure, and so the song alternated from right to left and back again. Between them the ranks, in perfect time, quickening as the measure hurried on, accompanied the song with the ‘poi’—the ‘poi’ of which the Maoris sing: ‘How my heart longs for the poi-leaf, How beautiful a flower it is to grace Thy breast; my love.’ The poi-balls twirled; the hands twirling them moved up and down, sideways, backwards and forwards, hovering now over the shoulders, now over and across the knees, the flying balls appearing to surround with a network of gossamer the bodies of the dancers as they swayed from side to side, lifting alternate feet and throwing them across gently in front with a lilting motion, giving the effect partially of a waltz step. The women were handsome and shapely; they waved with grace; they sang soft words of welcome with musical voice in exact accord of time, in a strangely attractive monotone; they did it with flashing teeth and smiling lips, and beaming great eyes, as they kept their ‘pois’ twirling and waving with daintiest play of arm and wrist, and the rhythmic swaying of bodies from side to side. Sometimes the song was of welcome, sometimes it saddened and slowed down to a weird lament for the Queen; again it quickened, with a note of triumph as the maidens bowed ‘Kia ora’ to the Duke and Duchess, and wished long life to the King and Queen far across the ocean; then it wandered gracefully over many appropriate topics. The effect was superb. The soft voices, the ordered motion, the bright colours of dress and mat and ‘piupiu’ moving with brilliant beauty, together with the white albatross feathers in the black hair, completed a singularly gracious, delicate example of the poetry of motion. At length came the end, like the finale of some admired composition the approach of which gives the absorbed listener a pang of regret. As the ‘pois’ flashed overhead the command suddenly rang out. The poetry and the movement ceased at once, the flashing colours were still, the infinite variety of the faces gave place to a settled gravity, and in the same instant each poi-ball came down over the right breast of its owner, and was caught firmly in her left hand. Then the shining ranks bowed once more to the knee; a long, steady, courteous salute. Having bowed they filed off with dainty precision, disclosing the massed ‘matuas’ in the second line; and as they went, thunders of applause went with them from enthusiastic Royalty and all the assembled shouting people, pakeha and Maori. The old Maoris say that the ‘poi’ dances of their time were even more effective; the strings used with the poi-balls being far longer; some six feet, and extending the picturesque gossamer effect of the twirling balls; the dancers being necessarily in extended order, and the display more imposing. The old dance was slower, and allowed more time for the display of grace and the elaboration of gesture. The ostensible object of the ‘poi’ from the first was to give graceful welcome to strangers (‘manuhiri’), visiting tribes, ‘tino rangatira’, and other persons of distinction. But gradually there grew up another object, which was to attract (Continued on page 58)

H.R.H. Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, in New Zealand (Turnbull Library). Welcome haka (Turnbull Library). Prince replies to Maori loyal speech, spoken by the Hon. Sir William Herries (on steps). Left of Prince on dais: Sir Maui Pomare (Turnbull Library). 1920—PRINCE OF WALES: H.R.H. Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, who visited New Zealand in 1920, met the Maori people at Rotorua on April 27–29. The Prince visited Ohinemutu, where a welcome address was given by Rangi Te Aorere and Kiwi Amohau. The Royal party also visited Whakarewarewa, where Bella Papakura and Miriam acted as guides, and the welcome address was spoken by Mita Taupopotei. At the main celebration in Athletic Park, Sir James Carroll led the Maori welcome. The loyal address was spoken by Sir William Herries, Minister of Maori Affairs, and interpreted by Dr Maui Pomare. Guy Scholefield states that the number of Maori hosts on this occasion was 5,500, which might be slightly larger than the figure for 1901. Late Paul Thomas, wei known taiaha expert of Ngat Tuharangi (Turnbull Library). Women ready for poi dance (Turnbull Library).

Duke and Duchess of York. (National Publicity Studios.) 1927—DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK: Permanent monument of the visit to Rotorua of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, is the Arawa War Memorial, unveiled by the Royal visitors. Arriving by train on Saturday, February 26, 1927, the Royal Party was welcomed by the Rt. Hon. J. Gordon Coates, who had with him his colleague, Sir Maui Pomare. There was again a grand demonstration of Maori dancing at Arawa Park, chief marshal this time being Dr Peter Buck. On the Sunday night, the Duke and Duchess attended divine service at the beautifully carved Maori church at Ohinemutu. The service was conducted by the Rev. F. A. Bennett in the Maori language. The collects for the Royal Family were repeated in English. Canoe poi. (National Publicity Studios.)

1934—DUKE OF GLOUCESTER: Another grand display of Maori dancing took place when His Royal Highness, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, visited Rotorua on December 22, 1934, during his New Zealand tour. On this occasion the loyal demonstration was organised by Sir Apirana Ngata, H. H. Balneavis and Tai Mitchell. The loyal address was read by the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, by then Bishop of Aotearoa, who also conducted a divine service for the Royal visitor at the Ohinemutu church. Although this gathering was somewhat smaller than those on previous Royal visits, there were still 2,000 Maoris fed and accommodated in and around Rotorua on this occasion. Duke of Gloucester with Guides Rangi and Bella. (Weekly News.) Duke meets Sir Apirana Ngata and Mita Taupopoki, paramount chief of Arawa tribe, in Rotorua. (Auckland Star.)