This is the second of two articles in which Alan Armstrong discusses the teaching and presentation of action songs and haka. Maoritanga In The Mire? PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION ARE PARAMOUNT by Alan Armstrong In my article in the last issue of ‘Te Ao Hou’, I mentioned that there are two aspects of Maori culture in which a great improvement is necessary. One aspect is the way in which it is taught. The second is the way in which the finished article is presented. I intend to deal with this latter in this article. It cannot be stressed too much that where the intention is to represent Maori culture to the Pakeha world, there is a two-fold responsibility. Firstly we must treat it with the respect it deserves and not debase it in any way. Secondly we must make it intelligible to the uninitiated. Even in the free and easy atmosphere of the marae, many of the points made below are worthy of note.

The Compere This is a most important person. He (or she) is the link between performers and audience, having the duty of explaining and interpreting the items to non-Maori speaking members of the audience, even though they may be in a minority. He must be a person with a good, clearly audible voice, fluent expression and a good stage presence. Often it is an advantage if the compere is not a performing member of the group, but this is not essential. The compere is there to do a job and he should get on with it. The compere who tells “funny” jokes (usually about “Hories”) and who tries to be a star in his own right can ruin a whole performance. Each item should be introduced with a concise description of the type of item, its significance and some idea of what the words mean. It is best if the compere can do without a public address system, but if there is any danger that ONE person in the audience will be unable to hear then it is essential that some means of amplification be used. One warning: do not touch the microphone or the stand while speaking.

Getting on and off the Stage If there is a curtain the problem is simplified for everyone can be arranged on the stage beforehand. When the curtain is open the performers must stand still. When it is fully opened there should be a slight pause to allow the audience to “drink in” what is on the stage. Avoid over-use of the curtain, however, for constant opening and reopening makes the whole thing very scrappy. If there is no curtain some sort of musical entrance must be used. All concert parties should know some of these. Nothing gives a worse first impression than a group which shambles on to the stage and then proceeds to talk and wave to friends in the audience. The exit from the stage must be just as carefully rehearsed and performers must not be permitted to disintegrate into a mob, all making for the side line. As a general rule the curtain should not close or the players turn to leave, until the applause has almost subsided. If a curtain is used, the performers should stand still as it closes and not move until they are completely hidden from view.

Starting the Item Even the elementary point as to which member of the group should start the item is occasionally neglected. While the compere is introducing the item everyone must stand quite still. The moment the compere has finished the leader begins the item without hesitation. On ‘hope’ or ‘kia rite’ all hands flash to the hip together. Everyone must start the