Some 9,000 primary school dancers will perform Tonga's biggest ever Ma'ulu'ulu as part of the King George Tupou V coronation celebrations at the Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku'alofa on July 29.

Tonga is known for its large traditional dances and although the organisers probably don't realise it now, the turnout for the Ma'ulu'ulu may also break the Guinness world record for a mass choreographed dance.

The Ma'ulu'ulu is one of the most admired Tongan dances. The performers are seated in curved rows, which are graduated if there are many dancers. They perform the same actions with rows of arm movements, aiming for precision so that all the individuals move as one.

Tonga's great dances are to be performed over a period of several days from July 29 to August 2 in honour of the occasion of the coronation of Tonga's new king.

Dress rehearsal for the Tonga Primary Schools Coronation  Ma'ulu'ulu

Rehearsal

Yesterday, July 15, twelve primary schools in the Nuku'alofa area gathered at the Kolisi Pule'anga ground in Nuku'alofa for a combined rehearsal, and later in the afternoon a combined primary schools' rehearsal also took place in the Western and Eastern Districts of Tongatapu.

The Tongan punake, or composer/choreographer, Motuliki Fakatava said that primary school pupils from Class 3 to Form 2 have been selected to perform in this Tongatapu Primary School Coronation Ma'ulu'ulu. He has composed Ta'anga, or poetry "Hilifaki Kalauni" for the occasion.

Motuliki said that they would have one full rehearsal with all 61 primary schools before their grand performance on July 29. To fit the 9,000 performers into the outdoor sports stadium ground there will be 20 rows of dancers.

Motuliki was very modest about the task of getting 9,000 school children to perform in unison and he was looking forward to the final performance.

Tonga Government Primary School students performing the haka

The Central District Ma'ulu'ulu rehearsal

The Ma'ulu'ulu is a popular large dance learned by young students in Tonga

Each school regularly performs the Maulu'ulu. The first part of the dance is accompanied by a skin drum and the second section conveys the poetry in song and movement - the movements interpreting the poetry

The Ma'ulu'ulu is the Tongan highpoint of entertainment today, according to Adrienne L. Kaeppler in her book 'Poetry in motion- Studies of Tongan Dance', saying "Its appealing combination of indigenous Polynesian and introduced Western elements, coupled with its precise varied movements, make it all at once familiar and yet exotic to Tongan and foreigner alike."

(A previous world record for mass dance was set on October 20, 2007 by 8,100 Filipinos from various universities.)

Girls and boys perform the same movements for the Ma'ulu'ulu

Tonga Side school