Shigeyuki KIHARA
Taualuga: Last Dance
2006
performance video

Dressed in a period costume, which was introduced to the Samoan culture by Christian missionaries, Shigeyuki Kihara delivers a performance based on a journey through the underworld ('pulotu') where she visits the 'future' hidden in the past.

This performance video stems from a traditional Samoan cultural 'siva' or dance known as the 'taualuga' (last dance). It is a graceful, stately solo performance led by a 'taupou' (ceremonial village maiden) who surrounded by a group of 'aiuli' (clowning dancers) at the periphery.

The organization of the dance floor, together with the frictions which surface between the taupou (graceful) and the 'aiuli' (clowning), reveals the hierarchical relationship of social order in Samoan culture with the value it places on power and respect.

Through focusing on the traditional 'taualuga' the performance explores how the concept of a 'taupou', as a mediator of hegemonic forces, can be applied to a contemporary urban environment.

Shigeyuki Kihara is currently represented by Tim Nees Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand.