Tuvaluan dance music
Dancing songs are the most common type of traditional Tuvaluan songs. Older style dancing songs were known to be performed while sitting, kneeling or standing. The two primary traditional dances of Tuvalu are the '' fakanau'' (for men) and ''oga'' (for women) and the ''fakaseasea''. The modern '' fatele'' involves the women on their feet, dancing in lines; with the men facing the dancers, sitting on the floor beating the time with their hands on the mats or on wooden boxes, such as tea chests.Performance of the fakaseasea
The ''fakaseasea'' was mainly performed by women, who were on their feet, dancing and moving their arms, hand and upper body; while men and women would sing and beat the time. It is a slower song with very loose rules on how to dance to it, with variations on different islands with different names. The ''fakaseasea'' tradition continues in the present day although performed mainly by elders.References
Further reading
* Christensen, Dieter, ''Old Musical Styles in the Ellice Islands'', Western Polynesia, Ethnomusicology, 8:1 (1964), 34–40. * Christensen, Dieter and Gerd Koch, ''Die Musik der Ellice-Inseln'', Berlin: Museum fur Volkerkunde, (1964) * Koch, Gerd, ''Songs of Tuvalu'' (translated by Guy Slatter), Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific (2000) * Linkels, Ad. ''The Real Music of Paradise'' (2000). In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific'', pp 218–229. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fakaseasea Dances of Polynesia Music of Tuvalu Culture of Tuvalu