The Union Theater was filled with the sounds of New Zealand last night as Kahurangi, the Maori dance theatre of New Zealand, preformed on stage.
The Union Program Council’s International Committee and Student Government sponsored the dance theatre.
The program began with “Powhiri,” a traditional welcoming ceremony. In this ceremony, the performers welcomed the audience and asked them to make themselves comfortable and at home.
This ceremony would signal the beginning of an interactive experience in which the audience was taught words from the Maori language and traditional Maori dances.
At one point, three men were selected from the crowd to participate on stage as “warriors.” They were instructed to emulate the actions of one of the performers in a Maori version of “Simon Says.”
One of the men chosen was Naiman Khan, the International Committee Chairman. His on-stage antics inspired a boisterous crowd response.
“It was amazing,” Khan said.
According to the performers, the Maori use song and dance to tell a story. During the event, the Maori dancers preformed songs of past battles, tribal ancestors and of love — with the program concluding with a Maori rendition of “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
The performers said this fits in with Maori culture because love is a key component of their society.
Khan said he hopes the International Committee can sponsor a yearly dance theatre. He said it sponsored an African dance theatre last year.
More than 500 people gathered to watch and participate in the festivities, said Ellen Burris, the UPC’s International Committee adviser.
Burris said the audience included many parents from the Baton Rouge area who brought their children.
“It really helped because a lot of the schools are on Spring Break,” she said.
Burris said the nature of the program also attracted many from the community.
“It was very interactive,” she said.