{{Unreferenced, date=July 2019 The Maulu'ulu is an indigenous dance performed by the

Samoan people Samoans or Samoan people ( sm, tagata Sāmoa) are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in Polynesia, who speak the Samoan language. The group's home islands are politically and geographically divided between t ...

. Contemporary ma'ulu'ulu compositions and choreographies are generally performed by female dancers, although some villages have a tradition of men and women dancing together. The maulu'ulu was one of several dance forms (such as

Taualuga The Taualuga is a traditional Samoan dance, considered the apex of Samoan performance art forms and the centerpiece of the Culture of Samoa. This dance form has been adopted and adapted throughout western Polynesia, most notably in Samoa, The Kin ...

) and choral song styles (including 'otuhaka) that were brought into the

Kingdom of Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

through cultural diffusion in the late nineteenth century. Considerable divergence of technique and choreography now differentiate the Samoan maulu'ulu from the Tongan Ma'ulu'ulu, although their common origin continues to be celebrated.

Performance

The maulu'ulu was originally an artistic expression of everyday activities, domestic duties, and customary observations. Such themes are readily observed in the motifs embedded within lyrics and choreographies which allude to tasks such as weaving, paddling, making

tapa cloth Tapa cloth (or simply ''tapa'') is a barkcloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and H ...

, cultivating crops, and fishing. While these themes are common in other Samoan dance and song genres, the ma'ulu'ulu is distinguished by the staggered rows of performers executing the same movements. Performers in the front rows usually sit cross-legged, while middle rows kneel, and back rows stand. Another distinguishing feature of the Samoan ma'ulu'ulu is the coordinated transitioning between seated, kneeling, and standing positions. The word ''maulu'ulu literally means "to sprinkle" or "light rain" - alluding to the lighthearted and jovial style of performance which was intended to refresh and reinvigorate audiences and social events as a "light rain" would cool the stifling tropical heat of a summer day. Formations and transitions are the hallmark of the maulu'ulu - the graceful footwork employed in walking from one row to another or from one area of performance to another. Mirrored motifs are commonly choreographed in such a way that the movements of one row of dancers is mirrored by corresponding movements executed by the dancers in the adjacent row. Proficient dancers are judged by the expressions of the face (smiling) and head, along with the grace and animation of hand and finger movements and smooth transitioning footwork. The seated and kneeling formations of the Samoan maulu'ulu are the most visible component of the Tongan Ma'ulu'ulu analog genre of Tonga. The Tongan ma'ulu'ulu in its current stylistic performance is more akin to the Samoan Sasa. The

Manu Samoa The Samoa national rugby union team (also known as Manu Samoa) represents Samoa in men's international rugby union and it is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union. They are also known as Manu Samoa, which is thought to derive from the name of a Samo ...

rugby team used to perform a lively version of the ma'ulu'ulu as a pre-game warm-up ritual until 1991 when the

siva tau __NOTOC__ The Manu Siva Tau is a Samoan war dance, performed by the Samoan sporting teams before each match. The national rugby union team used to perform the traditional 'Maulu'ulu Moa' on tour. Prior to the 1991 World Cup, the 'Manu' war cha ...

was choreographed (based on the Maori

haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...

made famous by the New Zealand

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

rugby squad.

External links

Samoan Dictionary

Western Samoa's Maulu'ulu
Dances of Polynesia Samoan words and phrases Samoan dances