The Talking and Singing Dance of Tonga —— Lakalaka

Tonga Islands is located at the South Pacific Ocean， which is about 2000 kilometers away from New Zealand at the northeast part. The Kingdom of Tonga became independent in 1970 and was previously called as “Friendly Islands”， which is the only constitutional monarchy country in this region. In 2003， the talking and singing dance of Tonga – Lakalaka was selected into the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

“Lakalaka” is usually regarded as the national dance of Tonga and it actually is a mixture of dance， speech， vocal music， polyphony， composition， local legends and historical stories. This kind of culture manifestation way is full of vigor and is popular among all ethnic groups of the Kingdom. When there are important celebrations， like the King’s coronation or celebration of the anniversary of the establishment of the Constitution， “Lakalaka” is a vital part.

湯加群島位于南太平洋，距東南方的新西蘭約2，000公里。湯加王國于1970年獨立，此前被稱為“友好島嶼”，是本地區唯一的君主立憲制國家。2003年，湯加說唱舞蹈——拉卡拉卡入選世界非物質文化遺產。

“拉卡拉卡”通常被視為湯加的國家舞蹈，它實際上是舞蹈、講演、聲樂和復調音樂、作曲、當地傳說和歷史故事的混合體。這一文化表現形式生機勃勃，在王國的所有族群中流行。遇有重要慶典活動，如國王加冕典禮或慶祝憲法周年等，“拉卡拉卡”是一臺重頭戲。

“Lakalaka” in Tongan language means “quick and cautious dance steps”， which originates from a dance called “Me’elaufola”. This dance appeared in the 19th century and revitalized in the 20th century under the great support of the royal family. The show usually lasts for about 30 minutes with a few hundred performers. It often forms double lines with men at the right side and women at the left side （at the view of the audiences）. Men’s dance steps are of clear and powerful rhythm， while those of women’s are elegant and graceful. The dancers at the lines would dance， sing and clap， and there usually is a choir accompany at side. The dense polyphonic parts with the dance of a few hundred dancers consist of a exciting scene.

The show’s creativity stems from “Punak” -- who is poet， composer and artistic director of the dance. According to the tradition， “Punak” gets inspirations and find various themes from the country’s history， legendary， spiritual wealth and social organizations to continuously update the performance contents of “Lakalaka”.

“拉卡拉卡”在湯加語中的意思是“快速而又謹慎的舞步”，源自一種被稱之為“米婁弗拉”的舞蹈。該舞蹈出現于19世紀，20世紀在王室的大力支持下又得以復興。演出一般持續30分鐘左右，可匯集幾百人的隊伍，通常排成兩行，右邊為男性，左邊為女性（從觀眾席看）。男性的舞步節奏明快有力，而女士們則舞步優美、動作飄逸。兩隊舞蹈演員邊跳、邊唱、邊拍手，通常會有一支合唱隊伴唱。密集的復調聲部伴隨著幾百個舞蹈演員的搖曳舞姿，組成了激動人心的場面。

演出的創造力源自“普納克”——身兼詩人、作曲家、編舞的藝術指導。按照傳統，“普納克”從湯加人民的歷史、傳奇故事、精神財富和社會組織中獲得靈感，尋找多樣題材，以不斷更新“拉卡拉卡”的演出內容。