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In the past the July Festival used to be called “Tiurai”, which stood for the English word “July”. In 1958, the Festival organizers decided to rename it to “Heiva”, which was much older and which itself had replaced the term “Upa Upa”. That word had been banned by the missionaries and referred not only to dances, but also to exhibitions and entertainments of all kinds (miming, sports, games, etc.), that could sometimes end up in very violent clashes.
The dances presented today date from the 1970s. They illustrate some kind of revival, especially in the costumes, which are far more elaborate and refined than before. We are on “Vaiete” esplanade, where many dance groups have competed. Indeed substantial money prizes are awarded to the best of them. While shows usually take place in July, they sometimes begin earlier in the month of June and then continue into the month of August; luxury hotels sometimes host smaller versions of dance groups in order to please their customers.
In order to reach excellence, groups train for months and the costumes, which are mainly made from plant fibres of all kinds, but also from feathers and shells, require some long and fiddly work. These are works of art indeed, as witnessed by this extraordinary exhibition currently being held at the Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands, which collects the best costumes each year.
Have a nice Heiva Festival!
C.BESLU
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| Unit price: 550 FCFP (4,61 €) |
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