''Sasa'' is a
Samoan word for a particular group
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...
. The ''sasa'' can be performed by both males and females in a seated position or standing. Hand movements are used to depict activities taken from everyday life.
History
The word ''sasa'' (sa'asa'a) literally means 'to strike'. The dance was originally a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred t ...
activity, but it soon became one of
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
's most well-known dances. It was
tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holiday ...
ally performed by whole villages in order to give a perfect effect on the viewers- the more performers, the more the dance became effective.
Sa'a is cognate with other words found across Polynesia often used to describe local dance forms, such as Māori
haka
Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompa ...
, Hawaiian ha'a, etc.
The Sasa requires
synchronization
Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are said to be synchrono ...
, energy and
enthusiasm
In modern usage, enthusiasm refers to intense enjoyment, interest, or approval expressed by a person. The term is related to playfulness, inventiveness, optimism and high energy. The word was originally used to refer to a person possessed by G ...
.
Performance
Generally, the ''sasa'' is performed by a large group of people, it is normally performed sitting down, but there are parts of the dance which require the group to stand up. The movements depict everyday life, from the movement of fish in the water, to the flying birds in the sky, from cooking the umu to cleaning the house, and even a form of voyaging, where the group move into the form of a large
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
, having the arms on the outside mimic the movement of paddles in the water.
Every Sasa is different, some movements have never changed, however nowadays, more contemporary moves are now being added to the Sasa. The
Samoa 'ava ceremony
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); a ...
is always included in the Sasa where the group would mimic the
Taupou making 'ava.
A Sasa will always begin with the fa'aluma yelling ''tulolo'' which tells the group to bow their heads, and ''nofo'' for the group to sit up again, in a Sasa you will hear chants like "Talofa" (greetings) at the beginning and "Tofa" (farewell) at the end or easier, fa.
References
*For more information se
http://www.samoa.co.uk/dance.html
Samoan dances
Samoan words and phrases
{{dance-stub