Tumeke Dance Group – a family affair

Cook Islands culture, dancing in particular, is alive and well on Rarotonga and there’s a new dance group to prove it.
The Tumeke Dance Group was formed in August 2008 when members of the Tauira family decided to celebrate the 21st birthday of Andrew Rauraa, partner of Tangi.
The show proved so popular that they were asked to do other performances, Christmas in the Park for Rotaract was one of them, and they are regulars at the Avatiu club house where this video was filmed at an Avatiu Eels rugby league club fundraiser.
The group has expanded and now has its own drummers. Friends as well as family make up Tumeke and there are plenty of young ones to learn and continue the tradition of Cook Islands dancing.
They choreograph all their own dances – lots of innovative new moves with the emphasis on having fun!
Tumeke is holding working bees as well as dance shows as they raise money for a trip to Australia. They want to travel in April 2010, school holiday time, so that the whole group including all the youngsters can go along.
The dancers are Brianna Tauira,Tangi Tauira, Teheikura Tauira, Puni Tauira and Tutemaeva Poaru with young warriors Teaui Rairoa, Tamanui Nicholas, Petero Teio and Tuira Thompson.
COMING SOON: More video from the Avatiu Eels fundraiser show.