Wherever you are in the world, you can’t deny that dance has been an integral part of our history.
It’s not just a form of performing art, but also a reflection of a nation’s culture and a person’s character.
The evolution of dance has been passed on from generation to generation, and it’s a beautiful thing to realize that even the old types of dance are still able to co-exist with the new ones.
Tahitian dance versus Hula dance
A lot of people get confused and thought that Tahitian dance and Hawaiian dance are just the same.
Tahitian dance is called ‘Ori Tahiti, and Hawaiian dance is called Hula.
These two types of dances are from different Polynesian islands and have their own distinctive identities apart.
However, both ‘Ori Tahiti and Hula played an important role in the life of people during ancient times.
These dances were performed in religious ceremonies and rituals, social gatherings and celebrations, and everyday life.
A young woman from today’s generation but with an old soul
That’s how you would end up describing the talented teenager in this video.
Her name is Melanie Amen from Stockton, California, and she will show us all how the Tahiti dance is properly done.
Melanie was just 19 years old when she performed Tahitian Ori or ‘Ori Tahiti at the Hura Tahiti Dance Competition.
She performed “Hura,” which is the traditional dance for women. The dance mostly involves movements in the hip area, and Melanie promises not to disappoint everyone despite her not being a native Tahitian.
Keeping up with the pace
Hura is a fast-paced type of traditional music, yet it must still be performed with grace since it’s a traditional dance for women.
And Melanie sure knew about that! She started off her number with a smile, and shortly after, she was immediately on it to wow everyone watching.
Her hip movements were too fast that it makes us wonder which is faster, Melanie’s dance or the music?
All throughout her performance, her lower body was helping Melanie to propel her movements to gain such unstoppable momentum in terms of rapid hip movements.
At one point in her performance, the talented young lady even bent down, almost on her knees. All the while, she was still doing those speedy hip movements.
Her facial expression and graceful hand movements also played a pivotal role in the entirety of her routine.
A formidable foe
As it turned out, Melanie, once again, bagged the first-place award in that year’s Hura Tahiti Dance Competition held in California.
This young woman is indeed one of the world’s most outstanding dancers of this art form.
Melanie has been dancing since she was five years old and never stopped honing her skills.
In fact, she’s already traveled to places to compete against native Tahitians. In 2016, she topped over a dozen of finalists at the Ori Tahiti Nui World Dance Championship in Tahiti!
We can’t wait for what’s next in Melanie’s journey as a traditional dancer. Surely, the future is bright ahead of her, and only time can tell when and where we are going to see her next.
Be impressed by Melanie’s Tahitian dance by watching the video below.
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